Stuck Between Three Choices
by FanficLuverHM13
Summary: A new farmer gets lost finding her way to the town of the farm she has taken over. She meets Neil, the awkwardly social animal dealer, Allen, the flirty hair stylist, and, Rod, the positive pet shop owner. Who will Rose end up with?
1. Introductions

**This is my first fanfiction. I have the fanfiction written down on a notebook on mine, so I basically have some parts of the fanfic planned out, but during some chapters I might ask for your opinion or some things that you want to happen. Some of the characters may be out of character and you can tell me if I'm doing a good or bad job with their personalities. Anyway, I have the game Harvest Moon: A New Beginning and in one of the save files, I'm going for Neil while on the other save file, I'm going for Allen. I guess this fanfic could be a mix of both save files. Hope you enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 1: Introductions**

The red-headed soon to be farmer was heading her way to the town of the farm she was to be taking over. Her name was Rose. Her hair was a ruby-red and was in a bun, due to her becoming hot whenever it was down. Her eyes were a sapphire blue and she has white peachy skin. She wore her work outfit.

the frightened redhead had become lost on her way to Echo Town and was now stumbling upon the forest, unsure of where she was going. "H-hello?" She called out. 'As if anybody's going to be here,' she groaned. It was dark outside, when it started to drizzle."What in the-" she was interrupted when a raindrop fell on her nose."Oh no!" She exclaimed as she started running, trying to avoid the falling rain. She couldn't see clearly and eventually tripped of a root above the ground."Eep!" She squealed as she hit the wet grass.

When she tried to get up, excruciating pain could be felt from her ankle and she fell back down."Oww.."She hissed in pain. Tears started to fill her eyes as the pain stayed."I-it hurts so much!" She said to nobody in particular. Shuffling was heard behind a nearby tree and a small gasp escaped the farmer's mouth. She tried desperately to get up, but the pain in her ankle said otherwise." You alright?" A voice called out."I c-can't walk..." Rose whimpered."Hold on, I'm going to help you." The voice reassured her. Rose squealed as she was carried bridal style and then brought over to the clinic.

**At The Clinic:**

When Rose opened her eyes, she noticed a young blonde man looking at her with a strict expression on his face. His eyes widened as he saw her try to sit up in the bed."Where..." Rose looked around."You're in Echo Town's clinic," The young man started, relieved she woke up."Who are you?" He asked her as he gently sat her up and leaned her on the wall."I'm Rose. I was... supposed to become a farmer here. T-thank you very much for helping me..."She smiled gratefully."It's nothing. I'm Neil."He explained, taking in her details."You were probably lost in the forest."He stated."Yes, I was."Rose started. She tried to get out of the bed, when she winced at the pain in her ankle.

"Are you crazy!?"Neil scowled."Wa-huh?" Rose exclaimed, frightened at his sudden change in emotion."You're not even-" He was interrupted by another man's voice."Visiting time is over,Neil. The clinic is far from closed and I should be asleep by now." An older man appeared beside Neil. He was the Town's doctor which people call Klaus. He took a look at the farmer." I see you've awoken," He started. Rose nodded."Either way, you'll have to go back to sleep. You're not going anywhere at this time." He explained quite strictly."You're just going to LEAVE her down here for Goddess-knows-how-long until-" Neil argued, when the doctor interrupted once again."That's how it has to be."Klaus stated, annoyed."She's had enough for today." He turned to the farmer."I didn't get your name."He demanded."I'm Rose. I'm going to become the farmer of town."She expained."Humph."The doctor took in her details."Good luck with that."

"W-what's that s-supposed to m-mean?"She asked, slightly annoyed at Klaus' personality. Klaus ignored her and gave her a scowl. Neil only watched, shocked at how the farmer retorted back without hesitation. Everyone in town was so used to Klaus opening his big mouth, that nobody dared to argue with him, for they would be punished with a long lecture."Leave,"Klaus told Neil."and don't come back tomorrow. I'll tell Dunhill to pick the girl up."He explained."Alright, alright."Neil groaned as he left without saying goodbye."You should be healed by tomorrow."The doctor told the farmer."Are you hungry?"He asked."I-I'll be alright." The farmer assured him, frightened at what would happen if she said she hadn't eaten at all that day."Good night, then."He bid her as he walked up the stairs to his living quarters."N-night..." Rose said to nobody in particular when the lights flickered off.'Where's a stuffed cow when you need them?' She thought as she turned in the bed. Rose was slightly scared of he dark, so she had always slept with a mini cow plush by her side. After a while, she finally fell asleep in the clinic.

**I'm sorry if this was short, but I didn't want to write too much. In the fanfic, all of the characters are already unlocked, just in case you were wondering why Klaus was in the first chapter. I really hope you enjoyed and please comment! I would really appreciate it. By the way, I might have a snow day tomorrow and not go to school, so I can write another chapter. I promise this fanfic gets way more interesting the further this goes! Thank you for reading!**


	2. Meeting Allen

**I'm back with another chapter! Thank you soo much for the review Ashrose! I'll try to improve from now on.**

**Meeting Allen**

"Wake up, Rose." The doctor spoke as he shook the farmer with much force."Mmm.."Rose opened her eyes and noticed a young man by the doctor. He had ruby-red hair and sapphire blue eyes. He also wore a dark blue jacket with a white and blue striped shirt beneath it. On his right wrist were a couple of hair bands. His glasses complimented his eyes. He smiled as he watched the farmer sit up."This man is going to bring you to Dunhill and give you a tour of the town." Klaus explained. Rose nodded as she tried to get out of the bed. When she stood up, she suddenly lost her balance and the young man helped her."Gee, you're clumsy." He chuckled."S-sorry..." Rose blushed out of embarassment."Let me introduce myself." He started."I'm Allen, the talented salon stylist of town. I came here to pick you up on behalf of Dunhill." He explained as he adjusted his glasses."I'm Rose. I'm supposed to become the farmer of town." She gave him a shy grin.

Rose and Allen headed outside the clinic after thanking Klaus. Rose looked around town in bewilderment and giggled."This town looks amazing!" Allen nodded in agreement."This town IS amazing." He stated."At least since I came here." He added as a smirk appeared on his face."Hey, are you sure you're okay walking around with your ankle like that?" He asked her."Yep! It doesn't hurt as much anyway." Rose nodded as they walked along the path to Dunhill's house."I almost forgot!" Rose exclaimed as she dug into her bag. She paused and then fished out a mini cow plush."There you are!" She grinned as she flicked the bell wrapped around its neck."Animal lover, I presume?" Allen asked her curiously. "Yep! Actually, the farm I'm taking over was my father's. I can't wait to actually have a cow roaming around the farm!" Rose explained."There's an animal shop in town,"Allen started."but the owner's not very friendly. You wouldn't want to meet him."He explained.

The two ended up at the door of Dunhill's house. Allen knocked on the door and they waited for a couple of seconds. As Rose waited, her ankle suddenly started to ache and she held onto the fence surrounding Dunhill's house as she examined her ankle."Darn..."She groaned under her breath."You look like you could sit down."Allen told her, a slight hint of concern in his voice.

The door creaked open and out stepped Dunhill, the leader of Echo Town. He wore a brown cowboy hat and a brown coat."Nice to see you, Allen. Have you brought Rose?"He asked."Yes. She's slightly injured, though."Allen nodded towards the farmer. She didn't seem to notice the door opening as she focused on her ankle. Dunhill chuckled."Mindless as always..." Rose looked up to notice Dunhill and Allen chuckling to themselves."D-Dunhill? I haven't seen you in a long time!"She grinned widely."You haven't changed a bit."Dunhill walked towards her."Welcome to Echo Town, Rose. I expected you to come a few days earlier." Rose let out a nervous laugh."W-well, about that... Father sort of delayed my arrival. Said he had to find his camera to take a last photo of me. He couldn't find it for a couple of days. You know him, always wants to keep memories..."She sighed."Don't worry about it! All that matters is that you're here now to follow your dreams."Dunhill reassured her with a smile.

"Speaking of my dreams, I've brought the one who started them!"Rose showed him the mini cow plush and waved it around, its bell ringing."Ah, so that's why you were so enthusiastic about having animals in your farm."Allen stated, slightly interested. Rose nodded with a smile."You have no idea how much it means to her."Dunhill whispered to him."The town looks wonderful!"Rose told Dunhill."If you think the town looks wonderful, wait until you meet the residents in it!"He replied with a chuckle."Of course there's always that lone one, but you'll get used to each other soon enough."He added."I can't wait!"

**I think I somehow made Allen a bit nicer than he really is. It's like I have some curse which makes me make the characters in my fanfiction nicer than they really are. I hope you don't mind the way Allen is! I have Winter break for a week, so I might make some more chapters. In the notebook I'm writing, Rose actually meets Dunhill when she first meets Allen and Dunhill lets Neil give her a tour around the town, which results in a very different way than now. I hope you enjoyed and please review, I would really appreciate it! ^^**


	3. Meeting Rod

**In this chapter, Rose meets the rest of the residents, including Rod and Neil!**

Allen and Rose left Dunhill's house after thanking him for everything. "What do you think of Dunhill so far?" Allen asked as they walked on the path. "He's really nice!" Rose started. "He told me he was with my dad when I was born, so I'm guessing they were best friends or something like that."

Allen nodded. "Speaking of best friends, mine's the first resident I'm going to show you to." He stated. "Really? That sounds great! What's he like?" Rose asked excitedly. "You'll have to wait until you meet him." Allen started. "It wouldn't be fair to spoil everything before you even see him, now would it?" He ended with a chuckle.

The path they were walking on led to a cottage. It had a blue roof and door and there were also two flowerpots leaning against the wall. "This house seems different from the rest." Rose started. "It's barely been painted." Allen knocked on the door and it opened right away.

"Hey, Allen!" A cheerful voice said. "Dunhill told me a new girl was in town! Where is she?" Allen stepped aside. "You're happier than usual." He commented. Rose looked to see a blonde young man wearing a yellow vest and a white shirt underneath. His jeans were rolled up around his knees and on his head were black goggles laying on top of his slightly spiky hair. His eyes were a sapphire blue.

He grinned and walked towards her. "Hi! My name is Rod! I've been waiting since this morning to meet you!" He explained happily. "R-really?" Rose asked, her eyes widening in astonishment. "By 'this morning', he means since last month when Dunhill first told everyone." Allen explained with a smirk. 'W-wow... Now I feel bad about coming late...' Rose thought, a hint of guilt in her expression.

Rod seemed to notice her expression and waved it off. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here now!" Rod reassured her with a bright smile. "I almost forgot to tell you, I run the pet shop right in the plaza from Monday to Thursday and 10:00AM to 6:00PM. I also sell horses!" He explained. "O-oh, I forgot to tell you my name!" Rose realized and blushed. "I'm Rose, the farmer of town." She ended with a smile. "It was great meeting you then, Rose!" Rod smiled. "It was great meeting you too. I'll see you soon, then!" She waved as she and Allen left.

"Is Rod usually this happy?" Rose asked Allen as they walked along the path to the rest of the residents' houses. "He's never been this happy until Dunhill first announced you were coming last month." He stated. "Guess he wanted a new friend that badly, huh?" Rose giggled. "He always told me about how he wanted a female friend that wasn't too serious or you know, too girly." He explained. "Well, I'll gladly be his friend! I don't think I'm too serious or girly in any way." Rose told him. "I think you and I are going to be great friends, and I'm speaking for both Rod and I." Allen stated as he gave Rose a genuine smile. "You really think so?" She asked, blushing at his words. "I know so."

Allen showed her to the rest of the residents. Emma the shipper gave her some crops as a welcoming gift, Rebecca the architect gave her a few blueprints, Clement the restaurant owner gave her some recipes and Michelle showed her some new magic tricks.

"Last but not least, let me rephrase that. Last AND least..." Allen chuckled as he led Rose to Neil's house. Allen was about to knock on Neil's door, when the door opened and Neil stood in the doorway.

Allen didn't seem to notice and knocked on Neil's forehead. "What're you doing!?" He growled, slapping Allen's hand away from his forehead. "Hey, that's even better than what I meant to do!" Allen chuckled and Rose giggled as she covered her mouth. Neil noticed her and scowled. "Oh, it's you." He stated coldly ."Hi, Neil!" She grinned. "You've already met Neil?" Allen asked her. "Yep! He brought me here when I hurt my ankle." Rose explained.

"GEE, I've never heard of Neil helping someone before!" Allen mocked a dramatic gasp. "Shut up!" Neil yelled at Allen. "She couldn't walk and it was raining! What the hell was I supposed to do?" He said as he calmed down and blushed out of embarrassment. "O-oh, um, I really want to do something for you as a big thank you for helping me..." Rose muttered, slightly blushing. "Hopefully you're joking." Allen sighed. "If you really want to do something, then leave me alone. I've wasted enough time with the both of you." Neil gave Allen and Rose a cold stare and closed the door in their faces.

Rose was taken aback and blinked repeatedly. "U-um..." Allen didn't react at all. "Of course, that's only to be expected from Neil..." He sighed as he crossed his arms. "Don't tell me he's always this way..." Rose groaned. "I can't say otherwise. There's no day he acts differently." He explained. "Sounds like he actually needs a friend..." Rose stated, slightly concerned. "Him? Need a friend?" Allen scoffed. "He'll never find one if he keeps acting that way. Even you wouldn't be able to make him happy, and I'm saying that from experience." Rose slightly gasped at his compliment. "You're too kind!" She smiled, blushing. "Me? Too kind? I'm just saying it how it is!" Allen chuckled.

Allen led Rose to the farm she was going to work on and they were now on the doorstep of her house. "Thank you so much for showing me around town, Allen!" Rose smiled sincerely at him. "I can't believe Dunhill actually bothered to ask Neil to show you around." He started. "The second Tina told me, I objected and told Dunhill it would be better for me to do it. Besides, Neil wouldn't be as nice to you as I'm being, now would he?" He smirked as he adjusted his hands on his sides. "I really appreciate it, then. I should do something to thank you." Rose grinned. "How about you be my date and come with me to the Tea House this Saturday?" Allen asked her playfully. "D-date? B-but we just m-met!" Rose exclaimed, blushing deeply. "Exactly! We're going to get to know each other better, how about it?" Allen couldn't help but chuckle at her surprised expression. "A-alright, then. I can't wait!" Rose said, a smile creeping onto her face. "See you then, Rose." Allen waved as he left the farm. "See you, Allen!" She waved back. 'Today's been a fun day!" Rose thought as she went inside her house and went to sleep.

** I'm really sad right now because a few hours earlier, I was playing my game and making a save file for when I marry Rod and I meant to save onto my Neil file, but I accidentally saved on my Allen file, and I JUST got pregnant with him! ARGH! I meant to upload this yesterday, but I had to go to sleep before I finished. This is the chapter when Allen starts taking interest in Rose and I guess you can tell Rod already likes her too! I think I made Rod a bit TOO happy. To me, he sounds hyper! Well, I hope you like this chapter and I'll update when I can!^^**


	4. Winter

**This chapter takes place a few days after Rose gets used to Echo Town and all of the residents!**

"You must be crazy if you actually think I'm going to give her a cow, much less a free one!" Neil growled. "And why is that?" Dunhill asked. "If I give her a free cow, she'll expect me to give her ALL my animals for free!" Dunhill sighed. "You out of all people should know that a farmer isn't a farmer without an animal, Neil. Besides, you wouldn't even have this job if you were expected to give your animals away for free." Dunhill explained. "Alright, alright. I'm going." Neil groaned. After he got the cow and the equipment, he headed to Rose's farm.

As Neil led the cow to Rose's farm, the cow suddenly ran ahead. "Hey, get back here!" He called out as he chased after the cow.

Rose was eating a turnip salad, thanks to the turnips Emma gave her the other day. She was getting ready to go outside and care for her crops, when she heard a loud "MOO!" 'What's that?' She thought as she opened the door to check what was happening. She looked around to notice a cow next to her house.

"It's a moo-cow!" She exclaimed, running up to it. The cow mooed delightedly as Rose rubbed its back."You're soooo cute!" Rose giggled."Hey! Rose!" She looked around to notice Neil calling her as he ran towards her."Oh, good morning, Neil!" She grinned. He finally caught up to her, panting."Good...morning!? Are... you...serious!?" He growled."Is that your moo-cow? She's so adorable!" Rose asked him."It's just a cow. Dunhill told me to give her to you." He told her as he rubbed the cow's back."Make up a name for her already. I can't afford to waste more time than I already have chasing her." Rose only looked at Neil, hoping he had a name.

"No, I don't have a name. Don't come looking for me to make up a name for your child if you ever have one." He huffed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets."I could just buy my own. I don't think I'm ready for an animal yet..." Rose told him nervously."Go ahead and tell that to Dunhill, then! Besides, I took my WONDERFUL time bringing this damn cow here!" He scowled."Okay, then. I'm naming her Winter!" Rose smiled."Can't see why you couldn't name her a minute ago." Neil crossed his arms."I don't know how to care for her..." Rose muttered.

"Of course you don't! I don't expect you to become a know-it-all the second I give her to you!" Neil yelled, his voice rising of anger. Rose whimpered, slightly frightened at his expression."S-sorry..." She apologized quietly. Neil felt bad about making her sad and sighed."No, I should be sorry, okay? Let's just get this over with..."

After Neil told her the basics for taking care of animals, Rose thanked him."Thank you very much for bringing Winter here and everything, Neil!" She grinned."It's nothing. I should also tell you that I work in the plaza along with Rod selling animals from Monday to Thursday and 10:00AM to 6:00PM. We don't work on rainy days, if you couldn't get that into your head somehow. You should stock up so your animals don't end up getting sick by then." He explained."Oh, um, can you come tomorrow and check on Winter? I never really got this close to an animal before, so I don't think I can say I'm doing a good job..." Rose asked, thinking he'd say no."Sure. I was going to check anyway. I guess I'll, um, see you later then..." Neil waved as he left.

After Neil left, Rose got straight to work with Winter. She talked to her, brushed her, fed her, milked her, and let her outside to graze."Happy grazing!" Rose gave Winter a quick pat on the head and checked on her crops.

Rose harvested her first crops and put them into her bag.'Hana liked turnips, right? I might as well give her one!'She thought as she headed to Hana's house. Hana gave her a big thanks and Rose went into the forest.

As Rose foraged for things to store in Emma's shipping bin, she noticed Iroha walking towards her. Rose and Iroha had become great friends when they first met."Hey, Iroha!" Rose waved."Hello, Rose. How are you today?" Iroha asked, a small grin on her face."I'm good! I'm just looking for some things to get some gold. And you?" Rose explained."I am doing well. I have some gifts for you as a warm welcome to Echo Town." Iroha told her as she dug into her bag."I meant to give you these when you first came, but they weren't complete at that time so..." She fished out a hammer and an axe from her bag and handed them to Rose.'This is great! Now I can get rid of those annoying trees in front of the house!' Rose thought as she examined the axe."I know these are not your regular gifts, but I had nothing else. My sincere apologies, Rose." Iroha bowed."There's no need to apologize at all! These are going to help me with my farming big time! I should be thanking you, Iroha!" Rose grinned.

"I hope you enjoy my gifts nonetheless. You can use the hammer to mine for some ores, which would help you greatly with your farming. Maybe the both of us can go mining together someday." Iroha smiled."Definitely! How about next Saturday? I'd love to mine with you tomorrow, but I have something to take care of." Rose suggested."Good idea. I cannot wait until then!" Iroha waved and then left.

"Hey, Rose!" She heard someone calling for her. She turned around to notice Rod and Toni running towards her."Hey, Rod and Toni!" Rose grinned as they caught up to her."Toni says he wants to go catch some insects together, so I thought maybe you'd like to come along!" Rod informed her. "Please, Rose!"Toni pleaded, pulling onto her arm. "Okay, okay!"She giggled. "Yes! Whoever catches the most bugs wins!"Toni ran ahead. "Hey, wanna catch some bugs with me?"Rod asked. "Sounds great!"

After they finished, Rose, Rod, and Toni met up at the river. "I have 10!"Toni exclaimed happily."Beat that!"Rod took out the bugs from his cages and counted them."I got 15! You go, Rose." She counted her bugs."15! It's a tie between Rod and I, then!"Suddenly, one of Rose's crickets hopped into the river."Scratch that. Rod wins!" Toni groaned."Aww, man! I totally thought I'd win!" "Hey Rose, you can have one of my bugs. I don't mind losing." Rod handed Rose one of his bugs and smiled. "Thank you!" Rose gave Rod a bright grin and he blushed. "No problem!"

** In the game, during the cow festival, Felicity calls cows "Moo-cows", so I thought It'd be cute to make Rose call them that. ****I thought this chapter was pretty cute with Rose, Rod, and Toni playing together. I can totally imagine Rod and the children playing together! I'm going to be putting random events with the villagers in between events with the bachelors so nothing happens too quickly. That's why I put Iroha giving Rose the hammer and axe in between Neil giving her Winter and Rod catching bugs with her.** **I think I made Neil too mean in this one. I think I did a good job with Iroha's personality since she speaks a bit differently than the rest of the villagers. ****In the next chapter, I'm going to make it so Neil begins to slightly warm up to Rose. Also, in the next chapter, Rose goes with Allen to the Tea House for their little "date"! Any ideas for what you want to happen during the date?**


	5. Date With The Lovebirds

After Rose finished playing with Rod and Toni, she was heading back to her farm.

She went inside the barn to check on Winter.

"Hey, how're you doing, girl?" She asked as she rubbed the cow's back softly.

"Moo!" The cow yawned and lay its head down.

"You're so soft..." Rose lay down, her back resting on Winter.

"Yawn..." She then fell asleep.

**The Next ****Morning**

Neil was heading towards Rose's farm.

"It's only to check on her cow. After that, you're getting out of there." He told himself as he knocked on Rose's door.

"Open up. It's me, Neil." he said after a moment of waiting.

'Ugh, where is she? I might as well just go into the barn, it's what I came here to do anyway.' He went into the barn and his eyes widened when he saw Rose and Winter sleeping peacefully alongside each other.

"Moo..." Rose muttered in her sleep.

Neil slightly blushed at watching her sleep.

'Did she seriously fall asleep wearing her work clothes in the barn?' He thought as he stood in front of her.

"Rose, wake up." He said, shaking her gently.

Winter woke up and licked Neil's face.

"Good morning, girl." He smiled, petting her.

Winter then nudged Rose, trying to wake her up.

"...What..." Rose opened her eyes and immediately squealed at seeing Neil in front of her.

"Neil! Geez, you scared me..." She rubbed her eyes.

"I came here to check on Winter." He explained as she stood up.

"Thank you for coming!" She grinned as she dusted herself off.

"Idiot, you got some hay stuck in your hair." Neil chuckled as he ruffled her hair. "No problem. Judging by how she looks, I could say you're doing a pretty impressive job caring for her. I'm looking forward to the cow festival and watching you win." He smiled.

"You really think so!? I can't wait!" Rose exclaimed happily.

'His smile is so nice!' She thought.

"It's in the Fall, so you'd have a pretty good chance of winning in the Beginner's Class, anyway." He told her as he petted Winter.

She mooed delightedly.

"That's great to hear! So, is that all?" Rose asked.

"Yeah. Just keep caring for Winter this way and you'll be a great farmer. I'll keep coming here in the morning to check on her if you don't mind." Neil told her.

"It's alright! Well, I have something to take care of today, so I'll, um, see you later, then!" Rose grinned.

"See you later." Neil left the farm.

"How was your sleep, Winter?" Rose petted the cow and she mooed happily.

"Good to hear!" She grinned.

After taking care of Winter and leading her outside to graze, Rose headed inside her house and changed into the casual skirt Yuri gave her as a welcome to town.

'I feel weird wearing this... I'm more used to pants or shorts, but a skirt? I hope Allen doesn't mind me wearing this or anything.' She thought to herself.

She was just about to make herself some breakfast, when she heard a knocking at her door.

Rose opened the door to see Allen standing in the doorway with a bouquet of flowers in his grasp.

"Really? It's only been a week, though!" She exclaimed, blushing as he handed it to her.

"I figured you liked flowers, noting from the Marguerites you're growing. So I thought, 'Hey, why not give her some flowers? It'll make her fall in love with me even easier'." He chuckled playfully.

"I'm just kidding, though." He told her.

"I was about to say!" Rose giggled as she sniffed the flowers.

"These are great!"

"Of course they are. I delicately picked each and every one of the flowers." Allen said with a smirk on his face.

"Let's go, then!"

Allen and Rose were at Olivia's stand, deciding what to get.

"Ah, Allen and Rose, how nice it is to see the both of you here!" Olivia started. "What would the both of you like?"

Rose looked around, thinking hard about what she wanted.

'There's so many sweets! As badly as I want everything, I can't pay for it all...' She thought as she scanned the menu.

"Pudding a la Mode for the both of us, please." Allen said without even thinking.

"My treat." He whispered to Rose as she was about to get out her gold. She quickly put it back in her bag.

"Here you are! Enjoy!" Olivia grinned as she handed Allen the food.

They then sat at a table and Allen began eating.

"Y-you didn't have to pay for me..." Rose told him.

"I'm against letting a lady pay when we're eating together." He smiled.

"Thank you, then!" Rose smiled back and began eating.

"Ha, that's cute." Allen chuckled when he noticed what Rose was wearing.

"Hmm? What is?" Rose asked nervously.

"Your outfit. You did an outstanding job getting ready for this." He explained.

"Guess I did, huh..." Rose smiled, slightly nervous.

"Tell me about yourself." Allen stated after a moment of silence.

"What about me?" Rose asked.

"Favorite color, food, anything." He explained.

"My favorite color's red because roses are red and roses are my favorite flower too." She said quite quickly.

"What's wrong? Nervous?" Allen chuckled.

"Y-yeah. I'm not used to eating with anyone since my parents were always so busy whenever I ate. Sorry if I repeat anything..." Rose apologized.

"I don't mind. Besides, that's pretty cute. Your face is all red." Allen pointed out. "But, you'll get over it."

**I spent, like ,hours thinking of what to write next. I think this is going to go downhill quickly.**

Tina the newspaper carrier was walking by.

"Now, who am I missing?" She asked herself.

"I've got Iroha, Felicity, Yuri, Michelle, but I'm missing someone... Oh, yeah! I forgot about Rose! Now, where is she?" Tina looked around to notice Rose and Allen chatting at the Tea House.

"There she is! She's with Allen though... Her loss!" She ran up to them and slammed her hands on the table excitedly.

Rose jumped in surprise and Allen rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you two!" She greeted them.

"Um... Hey, Tina..." Rose muttered.

"Whatsamatter? Hair stylist got your tongue?" Tina giggled and looked over at Allen.

"Good one." He chuckled, adjusting his glasses.

"Anyway..." She looked at Rose, who was still slightly shocked at Tina's sudden arrival.

"I came here to invite you to a sleepover for Felicity's birthday! You coming or not?" She asked.

"When's Felicity's birthday?" Rose asked.

"The twenty-first!" Tina told her.

"And you're inviting me the seventh?" Rose asked with a smirk.

"I gotta plan ahead! I could forget, you know!" Tina said, slightly frowning.

"It's surprising how you can forget to invite people to a sleepover, but you can easily remember where all the residents' houses are." Allen smirked.

"Hey, it took me a long time to remember where everyone lives, smart!" Tina hit Allen lightly on the back of his head.

"Hey, watch the hair!" He yelled mockingly.

Rose giggled. "How long have you lived here for again, Tina?" She asked.

"You're just like Toni!" She started. "You both love to tease others, don't you?"

Rose shrugged. "When I get in the mood to..." She stated quietly.

"I love teasing others like I love my job; a bit too much." Allen chuckled.

"I'm not surprised you'd say that." Tina stated, annoyed. "Anyway, I'll see you two lovebirds soon!" She laughed and left.

Rose turned even redder than she already was.

"L-love...birds...?"

**I hope this was good enough for half a date! Don't worry; it hasn't finished yet! I added Tina in there, since I couldn't think of anything else Rose or Allen would say, but I think I did a pretty good job with everything! Neil got too warmed up to Rose too quickly, but it's better than always having him being mean to her and her getting scared. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are always highly appreciated and any ideas are accepted! ^^**


	6. In the End

"I wouldn't be surprised if Tina writes about this in tomorrow's article." Allen chuckled.

"Does... Does she start rumors?" Rose asked, slightly frightened.

"Sometimes. Mostly. All of the time." He responded while thinking of how many rumors Tina started.

"Oh..." Rose groaned.

"Don't worry, though. You're lucky you don't know what I do to people who make fun of me." He stated proudly. He watched as Rose fumbled with her cow plush in her lap. "Why do you call them moo-cows, anyway?" He asked, full of curiosity.

"My father brought me to Echo Town for my fifth birthday and Dunhill gave me the moo-cow plush." Rose started. "I asked what it was and he told me it was a cow and how it moos, so I just... yep." 'Idiot, this is a date, not time to play with a plush!' She thought to herself as she frowned. "I am so sorry I'm wasting your time like this. I'm just... not used to this kind of thing." She apologized.

"No need to say sorry. Besides, this is quite fun." Allen gave her a genuine smile and she blushed. "I haven't relaxed in so long, what with work and everything going on." He explained in a calm tone.

Rose smiled brightly. "It's really pretty out! There's so many trees, though." She said as she looked around.

"Iroha's the only person with tools in town, but she's too busy to cut the trees down." Allen explained.

"She gave me an axe yesterday, so I might be able to cut them down myself." Rose stated as she looked into her bag. "See?" She showed him.

"I really can't imagine you using an axe." Allen stated as he tried to imagine it. "Nope. Can't imagine it in a million years." he shook his head.

"You don't have to imagine it to believe it, you know." Rose giggled. "You've got to see it."

"That's what they all say."

"It's true, though!"

"I thought you weren't used to talking so much." Allen smirked.

"Sometimes. Especially when I'm near someone I don't know that much..." Rose said quietly.

"I bet I know you more than you know yourself!" Allen laughed.

"Says the one who barely told me about himself!" Rose retorted back.

"Okay,okay." Allen started as he chuckled.

Allen then told Rose his favorite things.

"And don't forget; for a birthday present, always give me Genovese Pasta. Herb Soup will do nice, too." He ended.

"You're just like me! Our favorite color's red, we like red roses, and we love dogs!" Rose exclaimed.

"Gee, what a coincidence." Allen started. "You know, you should let your hair down sometime. I bet you'd look drop dead gorgeous."

"No... No I wouldn't..." Rose stated quietly and avoided eye contact due to nervousness and embarassment.

Allen chuckled. "Come on! I'll fix it up for you sometime, how about it? Besides, you can't always have your hair up in a bun!"

"Are you inviting me to another date already?"

"Maybe I am."

"Maybe you'll actually let me pay this time."

"Of course I won't. A gentleman like me never lets ladies pay." He chuckled.

Rose giggled. "Quite the gentleman you are."

Rose continued nervously playing with the plush, when she heard the seat across from her being pushed. She looked up to notice Allen was gone!"I knew I was boring..." She muttered to herself, frowning. "I'd better leave..." She was about to stand up, when something touched her head.

"Eep!" She jumped and stood up. She turned around to notice Allen holding in his laughter. "You're so cute when you're scared!" He exclaimed. "Allen! I thought you left me!" Rose pouted, crossing her arms. "I wouldn't leave you for the world." He stated and winked. "H-hey!" Rose blushed madly and he grabbed her plush. He then waved it high in the air so that Rose wouldn't be able to reach.

"This is so unfair! You're too tall!" Rose whined.

"Or are you too short?" Allen asked playfully.

Rose jumped and finally grabbed the plush from his grasp.

"Fine, you got me." Allen chuckled.

"You're such a gentleman." Rose said with sarcasm.

She looked around to notice it was getting dark. "It's getting late. I should lead Winter back into the barn before she falls asleep outside." She told Allen.

"I'll walk you home." He stated and wrapped his arm around hers.

Rose blushed and stayed quiet as they walked to her farm.

"How was the pudding?" Allen asked.

"It was really delicious! Best pudding I've ever tasted!" Rose grinned.

"I'll be sure to order it again next time." He smiled.

"N-Next...Time?" Rose muttered.

"Yeah. I mean, if you want to. Anyday except work days." He told her, slightly blushing at the idea.

"Sounds great!"

The two were at her doorstep and Allen was about to leave.

"Um, thank you so much for today!" Rose started. "It was fun. I'll be sure to actually talk whenever we do this again."

"It was my pleasure. Don't worry, as long as we're sitting across from each other, it'll be alright." He gave her a sincere smile.

"Oh, and come any time! I appreciate the company!" Rose waved as he left.

"I'll take up your offer. See you tomorrow, Rose." Allen waved.

**This was pretty short, but I was all out of ideas. AllenxRose forever! But Neil and Rod need their share of her too. ^^ I have an idea for Rod which is pretty cute, but my idea for Neil involves him being too nice, so I'll put some random stuff in between. Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll update when I can!**


	7. A Walk With Rod

Rose headed outside into the barn to tend to her cow, Winter.

"Morning, Winter!" She greeted the cow as she brushed her.

"Moo!" Winter nudged Rose's cheek with her muzzle.

"That's a good cow!" Rose smiled as she rubbed her hand on her back. She then placed the fodder in the bin and milked Winter.

"Certainly is." A voice stated.

Rose then turned around to notice Neil, a small smile on his face.

"Good morning, Neil!" She smiled as she ran up to him.

"Morning. Turns out I forgot to tell you about the Animal Sanctuary yesterday." He started.

"The Animal Sanctuary is a special place where any animal, except chickens, can go to graze to their content and relieve their stress. You'll also have to go there if you want to win any of the animal Advanced Classes." He explained. "But, I'm not working today, so you might be able to go tomorrow."

"Alright, then! I'll be sure to go tomorrow!" Rose told him as he checked on Winter.

"Sounds good. She's doing well. I'll see you later, then." Neil waved as he left her farm.

"See you later!"

* * *

As Rose headed out to the town, she heard barking.

"Ruff! Ruff!"

Rose looked around, when a dog ran and jumped onto her, causing her to fall down.

"H-hey!" She giggled as the dog licked her face.

She petted the dog and it barked happily.

When the dog noticed Rose's cow plush, it quickly grabbed it with its mouth and ran into the forest.

"Wait!" Rose exclaimed as she stood up and looked to see the dog disappeared into the forest.

"Hey, Rose!" Someone called and she turned to see Rod running up to her.

"Hey, Rod!" Rose greeted back, smiling as if nothing happened.

"Did you see a dog running around town?" Rod asked.

"Heh, yep. It ran into the forest with my plush." Rose sighed.

"Argh! She somehow managed to get out of the house when I wasn't watching her!" Rod groaned.

"I'll help you get her!" Rose offered.

"Great! Let's go!"

* * *

After some time looking for the dog in the forest, Rod managed to find Rose's cow plush.

"Found it!"

"The dog?"

"Nope. Your plush!"

"Yay! Thank you soooo much!" Rose grinned gratefully when Rod gave it to her.

"How come you're always carrying it around, anyway?" Rod asked.

"Dunhill gave her to me for my fifth birthday and she's the reason why I wanted to become a farmer here!" Rose explained.

"Ah, so she's pretty important to you."

"Yep! Let's go look for your dog now. It shouldn't take long to find her."

"You're right! Let's go!"

A minute later, Rose noticed a tail wagging behind a tree.

"Rod! Over here, I think I found her!" She called out to him as she headed towards the tree.

The two looked and found the dog along with a puppy by her side.

"Aww! Look, Rod! She has a puppy!" Rose squealed at how adorable it seemed.

"Whoa! How didn't I notice?" Rod asked himself in bewilderment.

"Yip! Yip!"

Rose bent down to pet the dog.

She barked happily, licking her hand.

"R-Rod, when we bring them back, can I carry the puppy?" Rose asked.

"Definitely! Just be careful." He told her.

Rose carried the puppy carefully and it squirmed in her grasp.

"She's so cute!" She exclaimed as she neared the puppy's face.

The puppy then started to lick her nose playfully and yipped.

"Hey, Rose, you're really good with animals! They both warmed up to you right away!" Rod noted.

"It's sort of strange. I've rarely been around animals until now, actually." Rose started.

"My father never really let me go outside or get near animals because he didn't want me getting hurt. In fact, my father didn't want me coming here and it took Dunhill years to convince him to let me live here. I really love living here with animals!" Rose told him.

"Really? I've been around pets for as long as I can remember!" Rod said.

* * *

The two managed to walk around the whole forest chatting without noticing.

"I think they're reaaaally adorable! They're really loyal to their own-" Rose started to say, when the dog Rod carried yawned.

"Wait, did we really just... It's getting late!" Rose exclaimed as she looked up to notice the evening sky poking through the trees of the forest.

"Time sure flew by!" Rod said as he chuckled.

"It really did..." Rose looked down at the puppy to notice it was sleeping soundly cuddled up against her arms.

"We should bring them back." She said.

"Yep. Let's go." Rod said as he headed towards the exit of the forest.

* * *

The two finally arrived at Rod's house and put the dog and puppy to sleep on a dog bed.

"Hey, Rose, today was really fun! We should do this again sometime!" Rod said as Rose was about to leave.

"You're right! We really should! Maybe we could bring the dog and puppy for a little play date, too!" She smiled.

Rod nodded.

"Thanks for helping me out! I'll see you tomorrow, then!" Rod said as Rose opened the door.

"No problem! See you!"

**This chapter took place a week after the date. I think I have a great idea for when it's Summer and Winter! This was short, since I barely had any time to really get on my dad's computer at all. In case you were wondering, the dog has had the puppy basically hidden for a few days. I just read the whole situation in a book and thought it would be pretty adorable to put it into a chapter! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted!**


	8. A Little Fight

It was Saturday, the day Rose promised to go mining with Iroha, the blacksmith.

After she ate breakfast and got her working gloves on, she headed out into the barn and took care of Winter.

While Neil was checking on the cow, Rose noticed something strange about him.

'He seems to be smiling a lot... Did something good happen?' She thought as she watched him interacting with Winter. 'I really like his smile, though! It makes me want to smile, too!' She smiled at him even though she knew he wasn't looking at her.

Neil then turned around to notice Rose in a daze and stood in front of her.

"What're you smiling about?" He asked.

"N-nothing!" She shook her head, blushing. "H-how's Winter doing?" She asked, changing the subject.

"She's good. Seriously though, is something up? You're smiling so much, it's getting annoying..." Neil stated curiously.

Neil didn't mean it, though. He actually liked her smile. It made him feel like someone actually appreciated him for once.

"I'm going to mine with Iroha today. I can't wait to find all the jewels lying around! Especially the rubies!" Rose grinned.

"I thought you'd say that. You even named the farm Ruby Farm."

"It was the only name I could think of..."

"...I think it's a nice name."

Rose gave out a small gasp at Neil's sudden words.

"I mean, if you can't think of anything, you might as well name something after something you like." He shrugged.

"I guess so!" Rose smiled.

"Yesterday, you told me that you'd go to the Animal Sanctuary on Monday. You still planning on going?" Neil asked.

"Yep! I really want to see what it's like!"

"Good. I'll...see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow!"

* * *

Rose and Iroha stood outside the mine, getting their hammers ready.

"I am very grateful you chose to accompany me, Rose. Most of the villagers are usually busy and so they do not have the time to join me." Iroha smiled.

"Don't mention it!" Rose started. "I don't think I'd ever be too busy to spend time with others, so whenever you need some company, you can count on me!"

"I'll have to consider your offer sometime!"

The two then headed inside and started to mine.

Rose found some jewels, along with the recipe for Genovese Pasta.

'This is...! Allen loves Genovese Pasta! His birthday's also coming up in a few days, so I should make it for him!' She grinned as she put the recipe in her bag.

Rose and Iroha chatted and laughed together as they mined until it was evening.

"I enjoyed spending time with you, Rose." Iroha smiled as they walked home.

"I enjoyed it too! I found lots of rubies in the mine!" Rose grinned.

Iroha nodded. "I managed to find many Moon Stones in the mine as well."

"That's great! We both found things we like!"

"Indeed."

The girls were now standing outside Iroha's house.

"This was very fun. I hope we can do this again sometime." Iroha smiled.

"Me too! I'll see you tomorrow, then!"

"See you tomorrow."

* * *

Olivia's Tea House still seemed to be open, so Rose decided to take a break.

"Hello, Rose." Olivia smiled.

"Good evening!" Rose greeted back.

"I'll have a Pudding a la Mode, please."

"Here you go!"

Just as Rose was about to give Olivia the gold, a hand came out of nowhere and handed her their gold.

Rose looked to the side to notice Allen, a smirk on his face.

"Looks like we're going to be dining together." He chuckled.

"Allen, it's alright. You don't have to-" Rose started to say, when he interrupted.

"No, I insist." He gave her a genuine smile as Olivia handed him the food and he led Rose to the table.

"How's work coming along?"

"I-it's going great...Winter's doing good and I just went mining with Iroha." Rose muttered. "O-oh, and I found lots of rubies! Want one?" She offered.

"No thanks. I'd rather let you keep your treasure."

"...You're really nice, you know."

"I could say the same about you."

Rose giggled. "I mean it! Always paying for me and everything...H-how about I do something for you?"

Allen chuckled. "Okay then. Why don't you sit still and close your eyes?"

"Y-you're not leaving me, are you?" Rose asked, unsure.

"Why would I leave you?"

"...You've got a point..."

Rose then sat still and closed her eyes.

Allen was about to go hide and scare Rose just to see her cute reaction, when he noticed how adorable she looked with her eyes closed. She was tensed up, her hands clutching her plush tightly as if she was expecting something to hit her.

"How cute can you get?" He said under his breath.

Allen then leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Rose immediately opened her eyes at the contact of his lips on her forehead and her cheeks turned dark red.

"A-Allen!" She exclaimed as she was taken aback.

"Come on, you can't say you didn't like it." He chuckled.

"N-no, i-it's just that n-nobody ever...It just r-really surprised me!" Rose tried to make the blushing stop, but only managed to make it even darker.

Allen laughed at Rose's expression. "You're as red as a rose! Hah!" He teased.

"Sh...shut up!" She growled. "T-thanks to you-"

"Thanks to me indeed. Your reactions are so priceless! Expect more of those coming from me soon." He winked playfully.

"D-don't say that!" Rose then threw her plush at Allen's face.

"Let's not ruin such a good-looking face now." He chuckled as he caught it in mid-air.

"Sorry to interrupt your little fight, but it's almost closing time." Olivia told them.

"And we were just getting to the fun part." Allen smirked.

"W-we went way beyond the fun part! How could you just kiss me like that and make fun of me?" Rose whined.

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because I like you." Allen stated, looking into Rose's sapphire blue eyes.

**Cliffhanger! ****In this chapter, Neil starts liking Rose and she starts to slightly like him too. Allen, being the straight up gentleman he is, just tells her and doesn't regret a thing. I think Rose and Iroha could become best friends, Rose always being the bubbly and happy type while Iroha's the serious and careful type. I was going to put Tina in this chapter teasing Allen and Rose, but nah. This is my favorite chapter out of all of them so far! Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	9. Allen

Rose only froze, looking at Allen with a confused expression on her face.

'I-is he saying what I think he's saying? He likes me as a friend! That's got to be it! But what if...'

"Um..." She muttered as she thought to herself.

"I've never liked anyone enough to become their best friend, you know." Allen lied.

He actually liked her much more than that. He thought she was perfect! He adored seeing her face, her ruby red hair up in a bun and those bright sapphire blue eyes of hers. The best part was the way she reacted to certain things. She'd turn as red as a rose whenever he complimented her and she'd stutter whenever she was with him.

"Best friends! Yep! definitely best friends." She giggled nervously.

Allen chuckled. "Were you thinking of something else?"

"N-no! I-it's great being best friends and everything!" Rose said quickly, flustered.

"I'll say."

"S-so...Is this another d-date?" Rose asked.

"If you want it to be." Allen started. "I never thought you would ask, actually."

"Heh, me neither..."

Rose ate throughout the silence.

"How's work?" She asked.

"It's going well. Why don't you stop by sometime?" Allen suggested.

"I'm...I'm not very good with salons..." Rose admitted. "Whenever I went to one, they'd burn my hair or get too close to my ears with the blower. A-and, I can't wait that much for my hair to dry and everything. I have to be doing something that's not just reading magazines and gossiping..."

"They just left you with bad impressions. Besides, reading magazines and gossiping in salons is just a stereotype, even if many salons do include it." Allen started. "I guarantee you my salon's different from the rest. I don't mean to brag, but I take pretty great care of my customers." He said with confidence.

Rose grinned. "I guess I can stop by whenever I get the chance."

"Even if it's just to chat. I can show off my hair styling talents and soon, they'd become the only topic we'd be talking about!" He smiled.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you choose to work in a salon?" Rose asked curiously.

"That's to discuss another time."

"I'm sorry! I didn't think it was-"

"What're you talking about?" Allen laughed.

"I-I thought something bad happened and I feel bad for bringing it up..."

"You worry too much, I swear."

"I get told that all the time. My father used to tell me how I couldn't sleep whenever anyone I knew got sick or hurt. He said I care about others more than myself..."

"Don't care about others too much, though. You could easily get used for something."

"I-I know! It's easy for me to get tricked because of my high trust in others... But, I don't think I'd have to worry about getting tricked by anyone in this town. Everyone's really nice to me here. E-especially you!" Rose blushed as she said the last sentence.

"You're the first one to say that about me, actually."

"R-really?" Rose asked, slightly surprised. 'Surely he's been nice to the other villagers! He hasn't done this for just me, right?'

"Arf! Arf!"

Rose and Allen looked to notice the dog Rose saw yesterday.

"Hey! Get back here!" The two heard Neil calling out.

Allen frowned at seeing Neil.

Rose stood up and the dog paused.

"Hey. What're you doing, running away from Neil?" She cooed as she held the dog in her arms.

The dog barked and licked her hand.

"Rose! You caught her!" Neil panted when he finally caught up to them.

"W-what happened? Why's she running away?" She asked curiously.

"Rod left her over at my house. I was just about to bring her back, but she saw you and ran over here." He explained.

"Oh. I guess she likes me then!" Rose smiled as she ruffled the dog and she barked happily.

Neil growled when he noticed Allen walking over to them.

"Seems like it." He chuckled.

"What're you two doing here, anyway?" Neil asked.

"On a date." Allen stated.

"We were only chatting..." Rose added.

"What's the difference?"

"Everything!" Rose blushed slightly. "Oh, and here's the dog. Rod's probably worried by now." Rose said as she handed her to Neil.

The dog whimpered and struggled in Neil's arms, wanting to jump into Rose's.

"How about I go to Rod's house with you?" She asked Neil.

"Anything to stop her from struggling."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Allen." Rose waved as she and Neil headed over to Rod's house.

"See you." He waved back.

'He just had to come and ruin it...' Allen thought as he folded his arms.

* * *

Neil knocked on the door and it opened.

"Oh, hey Rose! You brought Winnie!" Rod grinned when he saw her.

"Yep! She wanted to stay with me for a bit. I'm sorry if you were waiting for her!" Rose apologized as she handed Winnie over.

"More like she went crazy just to be near Rose." Neil added. "If you want me to care for Winnie, at least bring a leash."

"Haha! Okay, I will." Rod started with a laugh. "Thanks a lot for bringing her!"

"You're welcome!" Rose smiled. "Bye, Winnie!" She said as she petted the dog. "See you, Rod."

"See you!" Rod waved as they left the house.

* * *

Rose and Neil were walking to her house.

"I'm really excited for Monday!" She told him.

"Don't get too excited." He started. "Knowing you, you might not even be able to sleep because of it." He chuckled.

"It happens all the time, actually!" She giggled.

"I should've known you'd say something like that. You're too happy all the time."

"I-is that bad? I mean, being too happy and all..." Rose said, slightly worried.

"I don't really mind at all. I think it's nice to be around someone so happy. It rubs onto others." Neil shrugged.

"That's true... Hey, you've known Allen for a long time, right?" She asked, thinking about what he told her earlier.

"Depends on what you're asking."

"Well, he told me something. Is he nice to others?"

"Tell me you're kidding." Neil's expression changed and he looked at Rose with a scowl.

"I-I'm just curious... He told me I'm the only person to call him nice, so I wanted to know..." She said.

"Nice? If you knew him for as long as Rod and I have, you wouldn't be saying that. He's a self-centered jerk, thinking he's better than everyone in the world." He explained.

"N-no way! He's really kind to me and he hasn't said anything like that!" She exclaimed.

"Don't make me laugh."

"It's true! He pays for me and compliments me and he even said he likes me! He can't be self-centered if he does things like that!" Rose said, her voice slightly rising.

"Rose, calm down." Neil sighed.

"I-I'm so sorry..." She apologized. "I-it's just... I can't believe you'd say that about Allen."

"If you asked everyone else, they'd probably say the same thing. Wait, he said he liked you?" Neil asked, remembering what she said.

"Well, as a best friend... I don't see how that matters, though."

'Something tells me he doesn't just like her as a best friend...' Neil thought suspiciously.

"Well, maybe I'm wrong." Neil shrugged. "I shouldn't be judging others."

Rose's mind was filled with thoughts of Allen. 'Is what Neil said true about Allen? No, it can't be...'

Rose and Neil were at her door, but Rose was so caught up in Allen that she bumped into Neil when he stopped walking.

"S-sorry!" She blushed of embarrassment.

"Don't worry. Just stop thinking so much. It'll be alright." Neil gave her a small smile. "I'll see you at my shop Monday, okay?"

"Okay! I can't stop saying it, but I'm really excited!" She tightened her plush and slightly jumped.

"Glad to hear it."

"See you tomorrow!" Rose waved as he left the farm.

**Sorry for the two-week delay, but I was out of thoughts and I had tons of school work! I thought I'd put the three bachelors in one chapter to make things somehow a bit more interesting. I usually act like Rose whenever I was around somebody I liked. I was always really nervous, and it was really easy for me to blush around boys often. Also, whenever I like someone, it would become super obvious because I'd act completely different near them than near other people! I often got teased for it! I'm also thinking of doing a Tale of Two Towns fanfiction, since I'm playing that as well! I want to hear your opinion! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	10. Neil

Rose was eating her breakfast, turnip salad. She then changed into her working outfit, slipped her gloves on, and went outside into the barn.

She took great care of Winter and fed her a treat.

Rose planted some Marguerite seeds and watered them, fertilizing one of the seeds for the crop festival.

It was still too early for Neil to open up his shop yet, so she decided to stroll around town and greet the villagers.

"Good morning, Dunhill!" She greeted the old man when she saw him walking by.

"Mornin', Rose! How's the farm work comin' along?" He asked the farmer.

"It's going great! I think I could at least win in the Beginner class of the Crop Festival at the end of the season!" She smiled.

"You're just a beginner, after all. I'll bet it'll be as easy as breathing for you to win! Besides, farming's in your family!" He told her.

"Yep! I'm so excited!"

"Good luck, then. I'll be going now."

"Alright. I'll see you later, then!" Rose waved as Dunhill left.

A few minutes later, Rose noticed Neil and Rod walking out of the forest, their carts hitched to their horses.

They then rang the bell for their shops when they got to the Town Plaza.

"Neil's Animals is now open. My animals have a quality guarantee. Don't quibble, just buy!" Neil announced.

"Rod's Pets is open for business, yeah! Check out all our cute pets!" Rod started. "Anyone who wants to buy a pet or meet some pets should come on by!"

Rose ran over to the shops and greeted the two.

"Good morning!" She grinned.

"Morning." Neil greeted.

"Good morning to you too!" Rod smiled.

Rose then handed a Shimeji mushroom she found earlier to Rod and a bottle of milk from Winter to Neil.

"I was just thinking of how I wanted one. Thank you, Rose." Neil smiled.

"Thanks, Rose. This is an awesome present. I'm touched!" Rod grinned.

"No problem!" She nodded and stood in front on Neil.

"Can we go to the Animal Sanctuary today, Neil?" She asked, excited to see what it was like.

"Yeah, sure. Just let me get ready."

* * *

"Ah! It's sooo pretty!" Rose exclaimed as she, Neil, and Winter, arrived at the Animal Sanctuary.

The captivating scenery amazed Rose immensely when she first set foot on the bright green grass. She looked around and saw patches of colorful flowers. There was a gentle breeze from time to time. Rose thought everything looked so perfect, as if nothing could ruin the scenery.

"Neil, you come here every day for your job?" Rose asked, walking his way.

"Not every single day," He started. "but I guess it would be nice to. I wouldn't mind coming here at least once a week."

"T-then, how about we come here every Thursday, since you don't work on Fridays?" Rose blurted out without thinking.

"W-wait, that would be-" She started to correct herself, when he interrupted.

"Sure." Neil gave her a smile, causing her to slightly blush. "That... sounds great actually. We could get away from town once in a while. You know, you're good with ideas." He said.

"R-really? I wasn't even thinking, so that surprised me!" Rose grinned.

"I guess not thinking's your way of... thinking about things." He chuckled.

"Haha! I guess it is!" She giggled.

Winter came up to Rose's side, accompanying the two.

"Hey, Winter." Rose smiled as she kneeled and petted the cow.

"Moo!" Winter then nuzzled Rose's face happily.

"Hey! That tickles!" Rose laughed.

Neil smiled as he watched Rose playing with Winter. He never met a person that loved animals so much, so he felt that he wasn't the only one that enjoyed caring for them.

"Do you...like animals, Rose?" He suddenly asked her as he sat next to her.

"I love them! Well, farm animals and pets, at least. I'm still not used to wild animals, though. The animals that you can keep with you all the time, those are the ones that I really like. You can have fun teaching them tricks and they're really cute. Especially when they're happy! It's really cute how dogs wag their tails really fast and cats purr and..." Rose continued talking about animals excitedly as Neil began thinking.

'Why's she always so happy? Isn't she tired of smiling all the time? I know I'd be. Isn't she sad or angry sometimes?' His thoughts were shattered when Rose suddenly fell back onto the grass and lay down.

"It's really beautiful out here..." Rose sighed contentedly as she played with Winter's bell. She then gave Neil a gentle smile.

Neil slightly blushed and looked away. "It's... nice being out here, I guess." He muttered.

"I...I...Mmm..."

Neil's eyes widened when he turned to notice Rose sleeping and he chuckled.

"You didn't sleep at all last night, did you?"

* * *

"W-what's tis?" A 5-year-old red-head asked when the old man handed her the plush.

"This is a cow." He explained.

"C-cow?"

"They go 'moo!' Your father showed you a real one earlier, remember, Rose?"

"Moo? It's a moo-cow!" The little girl giggled as she waved the cow plush, its bell ringing.

The old man then pointed to something. "He told me to give it to you, but he was too shy."

She looked to notice a boy standing in the corner with his mother.

He had golden blonde hair and ruby-red eyes.

"What do you say, Roseline?" The girl's mother asked as she walked up to her.

"T...Tank you, Dunny!" She said as she hugged the old man.

"Don't thank me. Why don't you go and thank Neil? You could become friends, Rose."

"...Neil?" She looked again and when she did, the boy turned his head and saw her.

She then quickly turned back around nervously. "B-but Dunny..."

"Come on, Rose. It's rude to not thank someone when they give you something. Why don't I go with you?" The old man offered as he held the little girl's hand.

"O-okay!" She tightened her grip on the plush and his hand as they walked over to the boy.

The boy's mother noticed and greeted the two.

"Neil, look. It's the birthday girl I told you about."

He stayed quiet and looked to see the girl.

She wore a red dress with a ribbon tied on the back. Her eyes shined a sapphire blue and her hair was ruby-red, balled up into a small bun.

"How's the party going, Rose?" His mother asked.

"G-good..." She muttered nervously.

"Tell him, Rose." The old man encouraged the frightened girl.

She let go of his hand and walked up to the boy.

"T-tank you for the moo-cow, Neil... I really like it!" She gave him a small smile.

"What do you say, Neil?"

The boy sighed.

"...Welcome."

* * *

"Neil!" Rose exclaimed when she awoke and quickly sat up, bonking Neil's head in the process.

"Y-you idiot!" He exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.

"S-sorry! I-I just...Nevermind..." Rose muttered as she rubbed her head.

'Wait, why was he so close to me in the first place...?' She thought as she shook her head.

She then walked up to the animal dealer.

"A-are you alright? I-I'm really sorry!" Rose apologized as she suddenly put her hand on the red part of Neil's forehead.

This caused Neil to turn an even darker red than when Rose bonked his head.

"D-don't touch me!" He growled as he slapped her hand away without thinking.

"I-I really am s-sorry, t-though...I-I didn't mean to h-hurt you or anything..." Rose whimpered, her voice slightly shaking.

'He was so nice when we first came here... Why's he so mad?' She thought.

"...It's alright. Just stop worrying so much." Neil said as he calmed down and walked towards the farmer.

He then softly held Rose's shoulders.

"What am I thinking, of course you didn't mean to hurt me! You're too nice. I only wanted to..."

Neil suddenly got closer to Rose's face, causing her to blush madly.

She could feel his warm breath colliding into her cheeks and she froze, completely paralyzed.

"...I only wanted to tell you how much of a good friend you are, and-"

"Moo!"

The two looked to see Winter joyfully walking up to them, a small flower in her mouth.

"Damn it!" Neil cursed under his breath quiet enough so that Rose couldn't hear. He let go of her shoulders.

'He wasn't going to...! He was so angry before and now...? I-I can't think straight!' Rose thought as she shook her head.

"Moo!" Winter mooed again, nudging Rose's legs.

"I-I'm here! S-sorry, Winter!" She bent down, petting the cow.

Winter then placed the flower into Rose's hands.

"Thank you so much! It's really pretty!" The farmer hugged the cow lovingly.

"See, Neil? This is why I love farm-" Rose noticed that Neil wasn't at her side anymore and she stood up.

She noticed the animal dealer by his cart, an unreadable expression on his face.

Winter followed Rose as she walked over to Neil.

"Is...Is everything okay?" She asked him worriedly.

'He's acting different from usually...'

"...Yeah. It's getting late. We should get going."

** I wanted to write soooooo much more, but I've run out of ideas! Although it took me almost three hours to think of and write everything, I really enjoyed this chapter! I'm starting to think Winter's against Rose and Neil being together! Romantic stuff like this makes me giggle like a kindergartener! Oh, and some of Rose's 5th birthday is revealed. As she gets closer to the other bachelors, more of her memories are going to come back, and I'm really excited to see what I'm going to come up with! Any suggestions? Thank you so much for reading this chapter! Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	11. Short Fluff

"..."

Rose and Neil walked in silence.

"About what happened back there...W-why were you so close to me when I slept?" Rose asked.

"No reason." Neil didn't bother to look at her.

Rose looked down, glancing at Winter.

"I...I didn't mean to-"

"I know."

"I'm sorry for making you angry."

"I'm not angry."

"T-then, why were you acting differently back at the sanctuary?"

"I was just being stupid. Forget it."

Rose nodded.

"When you grabbed my shoulders, you were going to tell me something. Something about being a good friend. I really appreciate it, Neil." She looked at him.

"Forget everything I said."

"I said I was sorry, okay?" Rose's voice shook as tears welled up in her eyes.

'He says something nice to me and then tells me to forget everything? He's getting meaner by the second! And here I was, thinking we could become friends!'

"I heard you the first-" Neil started, when he looked over at Rose.

He sighed as he held her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"Come on, don't cry."

"Y-you're telling me to f-forget everything that h-happened at the sanctuary? A-at least finish t-telling me what you w-were saying b-before!"

Neil looked around to make sure nobody was near them.

"You're a good friend, okay? I like being around you and I think we could become good friends. I've never met anyone else that likes animals as much as I do, and besides..."

He then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"...You being happy all the time's starting to rub off onto me."

**Fluffy!**

**The sound I just made was not human. **


	12. Rod

Rose smiled as Neil let her go.

"R-r-really?"

"Yep."

"You're a r-really good friend too, Neil!"

"Nobody's ever called me that, so thanks." Neil gave her a smile.

'Maybe that's because nobody bothered to get as near to him as I'm getting...'

Rose woke up the next morning feeling refreshed.

She slightly blushed when she remembered what happened with Neil yesterday.

"So, he gave me the plush for my birthday...Hopefully, he remembers. And he hugged me, too!"

Rose got ready and headed outside to tend to Winter at the barn.

The cow stood next to the empty feeding bin and looked towards the farmer.

"Sorry, Winter. I'll get you the fodder now, okay?" Rose assured her as she put more fodder in the bin.

She then started brushing the cow as she ate.

After Rose milked Winter, she led her outside to get some fresh air.

The farmer took care of her crops and went into town.

There she noticed Hina, the daughter of Charles and Camellia, playing with Toni.

"Haha! You can't catch me!" The little girl giggled as she ran from Toni.

"Just you wait!" Toni laughed as he ran towards her with his arms outstretched.

"Roooosyyyyyy!" Hina exclaimed when she noticed Rose and ran towards her.

"Good morning, Hina!" Rose smiled as she bent down and reached her height.

"Good morning!"

"Oh, it's Rose." Toni ran up to the two.

"Hey, Toni! How's Rebecca?"

"Mom's good! She's going to open up the shop tomorrow." He told her.

Rose nodded and looked towards Hina.

"How are Charles and Camellia?"

"Mom and dad are alright. Mom says she wants you to go to the Travel Agency someday!" She said.

"Tell her I'll go sometime, okay?"

"Okay!"

"You guys can keep playing now. I'll see you two later!" Rose waved to them as she headed off into the forest.

"Bye-bye, Rosy!"

"Tag! You're it!"

"Aww, come on! That's not fair!"

* * *

While Rose was walking around, she saw Rod and his dog, Winnie, going on a walk.

"Oh hey, Rose!" He greeted her when she walked up to them.

"Hi, Rod! Hey, Winnie." She smiled as she petted the dog.

"Me and Winnie are going on a walk. Wanna tag along with us?" Rod offered.

"Sounds like a good idea!"

They ended up chatting and walked all the way to the top of the mountains.

"Let's take a break here, okay?" Rod suggested.

Rose nodded. "You're right, I'm getting a bit tired." She said as she sat down.

Rod took Winnie's leash off and sat next to Rose.

"It's really nice out today." He said as he watched Winnie running around in circles, chasing her tail.

"Hah, yeah, it is! It's really peaceful too! Scenery like this makes me really glad I'm here." Rose stated in a calm tone.

"Well, you should be! Was it like this where you used to live?" Rod asked as he looked at her.

"Not at all! Me and my father lived in a big city and I barely got to see the sky as nice as this. That's why I'm not as used to wild animals as everyone else, since there wasn't really enough nature where we lived." She explained.

"That's sorta hard for me to believe! You're so good with animals, though!"

"The first time I actually saw an animal was during my fifth birthday when I first came here and my father was the farmer. My father showed me his prize-winning cow which he named Betsy. And then...I think I saw a dog in there somewhere..."

* * *

"And this is my prize-winning cow, Betsy! Isn't she amazing, Rose?"

"...D-daddy, it's...scary..." The little girl whimpered as she hid behind her mother.

"It'll be alright, Roseline. She's not going to hurt you." Her mother assured her.

"B-but, m-mommy..."

The cow looked at the little girl and starting walking towards her.

"M-m-mommy...!"

When the cow got close to the girl and mooed, she ran away, crying.

"Sigh... This isn't going to work out well if she's going to become a farmer..."

"Don't worry. She just hasn't had much experience with animals, honey. Maybe if we come more often she'll eventually warm up to them."

As the girl ran, she noticed a boy about the same age as her near a puppy.

He had blonde hair and light sapphire eyes which were covered by the goggles he wore.

He turned around to see her and smiled. "Hi! Wanna play with me and Lucy?" He gestured towards the puppy.

The girl nervously walked towards the boy and looked at the puppy.

"Wha... What is that?" She asked.

"A puppy! She's Lucy! She's really nice." He said as he carried the puppy and showed the girl.

She took a few steps back. "...Puppy?"

"Arf! Arf!" The puppy licked her face and yipped excitedly.

"Haha! She likes you!" The boy grinned.

He then set her onto the ground.

"Come and pet her. She won't hurt." He assured her.

"Sure?"

"Yeah! She doesn't hurt me!"

"O-okay..."

The boy held her hand and led her towards the puppy.

They then sat down.

"See?" He said as he placed the puppy on her lap.

"Haha! It tickles!" She laughed as the puppy licked her hands.

She gained enough courage to hold the puppy with both hands and smiled. "She's cute! I like Lucy!"

She noticed her parents and the cow walking over to them.

She then hid behind the boy when the cow neared the two.

"S-scary..." She whimpered.

The boy only laughed and petted the cow lovingly. "Hi, Betsy!"

"It's Rod! Seems like he and Roseline became friends." Her mother smiled.

"Knowing how much he loves animals, he might be able to help Rose with her fear of them!" Her father observed.

"Rose?" The boy asked her parents.

"Today's Roseline's birthday. She's turning five years old!" Her mother explained.

"Oh! Happy birthday, Rose!" He grinned.

"T-tank you..." She gave him a small smile.

"Moo!" The cow mooed, nudging the girl's face.

"M-m-m-mommy!"

"Betsy likes you, Rose!" The boy told her.

"She...likes me?"

"Yeah! Pet her! She's really nice."

"Go on, Rose. She won't hurt you." Her father encouraged her.

"Pretend she's Lucy!"

The girl shut her eyes and she rubbed her hand across the cow's muzzle.

She giggled when she felt the cow's breath on her hand.

"I like Betsy!"

* * *

Rose looked at Rod.

"You were there and helped me with my fear of animals..."

"I was? Really?" Rod asked, surprised.

"You showed me your puppy, Lucy. Then you helped me with Betsy."

"Oh yeah! Now I remember! That was when we first met!"

"Mm-hmm! You looked goofy wearing your goggles!" Rose giggled.

"Hey!" Rod slightly blushed.

"I'm not saying that in a mean way! It was sort of...cute, actually." She smiled.

"Well, thanks, I guess!" He smiled back. "You should have come more often, though. It would have been really fun if we played more together!"

"My father thought I was still scared of animals, so he didn't let me come much after that." The farmer explained.

"Arf! Arf!" Winnie climbed onto Rose and licked her face.

"Winnie! Oh, I nearly forgot, what happened to the puppy? Did you already sell her?" She asked Rod.

"She's sleeping in the house. I don't usually sell really young pets, so I'm planning on waiting for her to grow a bit more." He explained.

Rose nodded. "That sounds like the best choice."

"It's getting late." Rod stated when he looked up into the evening sky.

"You're right." Rose looked up as well and grinned.

"I've been thinking, Rose...You're always talking about your father. What about your mother? I remember seeing her at the party..." Rod said, curious.

"That..." She shook her head. "It's not that important. I'd probably just bore you with what she and I did together. She was really kind to me, though. She'd always...Nevermind..."

Rod noticed her change in expression and voice. 'Me and my mouth...Something probably happened and she doesn't want to talk about it...'

"Let's go..."

Rod let Rose hold Winnie's leash and they walked down the mountains.

He looked around as they walked.

Winnie was barking and looking back excitedly.

Rose was looking forward, an unreadable, yet sad expression on her face.

Rod decided to hold her hand.

Rose jumped, totally not expecting him to suddenly hold her hand and froze.

"It'll be okay. Don't worry, Rose." He assured her with a smile.

"Mm-hmm. It'll be okay. It...It's nothing." She nodded.

They continued walking, their fingers intertwined.

* * *

Rose, Rod, and Winnie arrived at his house.

"Thanks for walking with me in the mountains, Rose! It was really fun talking with you." Rod grinned.

"Yep. I had a great time." She nodded.

"I forgot to ask you, are you planning on getting anything for Allen?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rose asked, confused.

"Tomorrow's his birthday, so I'm going to give him some herb soup." He explained.

"Oh! I didn't check the calendar this morning...I'm planning on making him his favorite, Genovese Pasta. I found the recipe when I went mining with Iroha the other day."

"He'll be really happy when you give it to him!"

"That's what I'm hoping for!" Rose smiled.

"Haha, he's really kind when you give him what he likes! I wonder what he'll do when you give it to him."

"I have to tell you...I think that if you hadn't helped me with my fear of animals before, that I wouldn't become a farmer here. So, thank you so much for helping me!"

"Don't mention it! I can't imagine what Echo Town would be like if you never came, probably really boring, so thanks to you for coming here in the first place!" Rod smiled.

Rose nodded. "I really appreciate it! I'll see you later on, then."

"See you!"

**You weren't expecting this chapter, now were you? Since yesterday, I felt like I had to keep writing! I spent nearly the whole day writing this chapter. I woke up at around 12:00PM, since I usually wake up late during weekends and immediately got on the computer to read all the reviews on the fanfiction. There were so many comments, I thought I'd cry from extreme happiness! It's really easy for me to cry, okay? So, since I first got on the computer, I started this chapter and took, like, tons of breaks because my dad was watching a movie and the Tv's next to the computer and I watched some of it. Yep! The memory of Rod actually happened before the memory of Neil, which is why little Rose was so scared of the cow in this memory. I have this AMAZING idea for the next chapter about Allen's birthday, but I don't mind anyone sharing their ideas with me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^ Hooray for longest chapter so far! :D**


	13. A Night For a Birthday

Before going back home, Rose planned ahead and read the recipe for Genovese Pasta to make.

She managed to make cheese with the help of the Fermenter Maker she built earlier.

"Flour, a herb, a walnut, milk, and cheese! I already bought the flour from Hana this morning, I have a mint and walnut from the forest, and I just need to milk Winter tomorrow to get the milk! This'll be easy!" She grinned as she counted off the ingredients she needed.

'Allen's going to be so happy! I might as well wear the casual dress Yuri gave me tomorrow as well. Allen really liked it on me at our first date, so if I wear it again, it'll make his birthday even better, right?'

* * *

The next morning, Rose woke up to hear heavy pattering on the roof of the house.

She immediately shot up and looked out from the window.

"No,no,no,no,no! There's a storm today! Ugh, that's just about the only thing that could ruin Allen's birthday!" She groaned as she laid her head onto her hands on the counter.

"Either way, I can't just not give him Genovese Pasta! I had everything planned out!" She got up and went outside.

The farmer tried her best to cover her head with her arm as she ran over to the barn to tend to Winter.

The cow mooed from stress as Rose opened the doors and headed inside.

"It's raining really heavily...Hopefully it gets better tomorrow so you can get out..." She told Winter as she brushed and milked her.

"It'll be alright, Winter. The storm won't last long!" Rose assured her as she gave her a quick hug. "Well, I'll visit later. I'm not leaving you alone for the whole day."

The farmer ran back into the house and made the Genovese Pasta, as she promised. She then got into the casual dress.

'It's a shame I'll have to get this wet...Why can't Hana just start selling umbrellas?' She thought as she covered the food and headed out to Allen's house.

* * *

When she reached his house, she knocked on the door and waited for a couple of minutes.

"Achoo!" Rose sneezed and nearly lost her footing.

"I'm...I'm n-not going home u-until I give t-this to Allen!" She told herself as she knocked again.

The door finally opened and Rose looked to see Allen much more differently than how he usually looks.

His hair was slightly messy and he wasn't wearing his glasses, which slightly made Rose blush. He also wore his blue and white striped pajamas and was rubbing one of his eyes.

"Who could be running around in a storm like thi-" He started, when he recognized Rose.

Allen then grabbed her and quickly pulled her inside as he shut the door.

"Rose, what do you think you're doing out here!?" He asked her strictly.

"I-I only wanted t-to give you G-Genovese P-pasta for your b-birthday! I'll l-leave r-r-right away!" She shivered as she stood in front of him.

The hair stylist looked at her and noticed the casual dress she wore on their first date and blushed. 'She's beautiful...If she wasn't soaking wet, anyway. Did she really wear it for me?'

"If you think I'm going to let you outside in the storm, you better think again." He told her as he locked the door.

"H-huh? I-I-Achoo!" Rose sneezed again and slightly jumped.

"You're going to get sick if you stay in those clothes." Allen stated as he led her upstairs and started to rummage through his drawers.

"I-I'm alright, though!" She said as she shook her head.

"Something's telling me otherwise." He told her as he put the pasta on his table and handed her a big red shirt along with matching airy pants. He then pointed to the restroom. "You can change in there. You're staying until the storm's over."

"O-okay, then." Rose nodded as she headed to the restroom, when Allen grabbed her arm.

"Oh, and before I forget..." The hair stylist gave the farmer a quick peck on the cheek. "...I appreciate the gifts." He gave her a grateful smile.

"Y-y-you're w-w-welcome!" Rose turned dark red and hurried into the restroom to change.

Allen chuckled. 'She's so soft...'

Rose got out of the restroom and saw the trail of water that lead around the room.

"...I'm sorry for the mess..." She apologized as she sat at the table.

"Oh, that? Don't pay any mind to it." He took out two forks and sat across from her.

"I-I don't need to eat-"

"I insist. Besides, sharing my birthday with a woman as beautiful as you would make this the best birthday yet." He smiled at Rose, who was turning redder by the second.

"I-it's raining out, though..." She commented as red tinted her cheeks.

"So? It's certainly better than spending today alone. Usually, nobody bothers to celebrate with me. They don't know how much they're missing." He said as he started eating.

'Nobody comes to celebrate his birthday? If it's true, maybe what Neil said about Allen was true, too. Maybe he's not as kind to everyone else as he's being to me...But why me?' She thought, when Allen licked his lips.

"Is...Is it good? I-I was in a hurry, s-so I didn't get a chance to taste it..." Rose said, unsure.

"This is amazing! In fact, it's almost in par with Clement's cooking! Who taught you to cook?" Allen asked, full of curiosity.

"M-my mother did. Actually, she taught me just about everything I know now. I don't know if I would even make it here if she wasn't with me. I'm really glad you like it, though! Maybe I could even take part in the Cooking Festival this Summer!" She grinned as she began eating too.

"Maybe you could. What was your mother like, anyway? I only lived with mine and my sister, since my father was barely ever around."

"She was... really kind. Her name was Caroline. She always spent time with me and was never mad, no matter how badly I did things. I used to be very clumsy before, and I'm still surprised at how she managed to put up with me! When I did badly in school, she'd take me out for some ice cream and we always enjoyed the time we spent together. Turns out I got my excessive worrying from her, and I'm not very proud of it, but neither was she. I was actually an only child in my family, yet everyone thinks I was part of a big one. I only lived with her and my father, but my father was barely around as well, since he still farmed in this town even though we didn't live here. I think I've said a bit too much..."

"Don't worry about it. Caroline, eh? Sounds familiar. Maybe I met her one time."

"Maybe you did!"

"You're an interesting person to talk to, you know. I wouldn't mind chatting the day away with you by my side."

"T-thank you! You're a really great person to talk to as well! I've never received so many compliments before, and I don't think I ever would if I didn't talk with you." Rose slightly blushed.

"Consider yourself lucky, because more compliments are coming your way!" Allen smiled.

"I...I really appreciate it, then!"

* * *

The two finished eating and were now sitting on Allen's bed, chatting more about their families and the fun things they did.

"I'll be back in a second." Allen told her as he went downstairs.

Rose nodded as she watched him walk down the stairs.

'I don't see why the others don't think nicely about him...He can't be nice only to me, though. I'm not really any different from the others except my excessive worrying, and that's not a good thing.' She sighed.

"I wonder what he was like..."

As Rose thought to herself, she didn't notice Allen walking up the stairs holding a brush and walking up behind her.

When she felt her hair getting loose, she squealed.

"I wouldn't be able to convince you if I only asked, now would I?" He asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I-I'm not really used to letting other people touch my hair... It makes me uncomfortable, but I guess it's okay for now." Rose said as she nervously played with her plush.

That was when Allen let her bun out and gently brushed her hair.

"Has anyone ever told you how gorgeous you look with your hair down?" Allen asked as he stared at Rose in admiration.

"No... I barely ever had it out of my bun. It's been like that since I was little." She explained, blushing immensely.

"Then let me be the first to tell you, you look just like a princess."

"P-princess?"

* * *

"Mommy, why am I Rose...Roseline?"

"I used to think Roseline was the perfect name for a princess. And look at you now! You're as beautiful as a princess."

"But daddy calls me Rose..."

"That's because he prefers roses over princesses. He likes flowers very much."

"Is that why my dress is red?"

"Yes, that's why. And it also has a little rose on the top."

"Haha, yeah! I like roses, too!"

As Roseline talked to her mother, she noticed a red-headed boy looking at her.

"Mommy, who's that?" She asked as she pointed to the boy.

"He's Allen. Why don't we go over and introduce you to him?" Her mother asked as she held her hand.

"Okay!"

As Caroline led her towards the boy, Roseline ran ahead, smiling.

"Hi! My mommy told me you're Allen." She said excitedly when she stood in front of him.

"Allen, this is Roseline. Today's her fifth birthday."

"Really? Hah, that's why you look like princess. Happy birthday." He smiled towards the girl.

"Tank you! Wanna be my friend?"

"Sure."

"Yaaaay!" She smiled as she hugged him.

"Look at that. She met Allen." Roseline's father said as he walked up to them.

"Look, daddy! Allen's my friend now!"

"How adorable is that, honey?" Caroline started. "He's her first friend."

"And this is my moo-cow! Neil gave me it!" Roseline smiled as she showed Allen the cow plush.

"Moo-cow, eh? It almost looks like Betsy."

"Daddy showed me Betsy. She's really nice!"

"Want to get some cake with me?"

"Yeah!" She nodded and then turned to her mother. "Mommy, me and Allen are going to go get some cake!" She said as she grabbed Allen's hand and ran towards the table.

"You're so happy..."

"Yeah, because you're my first friend! I never had a friend before!"

When the two got at the table, they looked to notice there was only one piece of cake on the tray.

Roseline's shoulders slumped in sadness. "Aww! There's only one piece left!" She whined.

"Take it, then." Allen told her. He didn't understand why she was so sad. She could've just taken and eaten it on the spot. It_ was _her birthday, after all.

"Nah, you should have it!" She grinned as she handed him the piece of cake.

Allen didn't normally share with others, but he wanted Roseline to smile. Besides, nobody should be sad on their birthday.

"How about we share?" He suggested.

"R-really!? You'll really share with me!?" She jumped with happiness and hugged her plush tightly.

"We'll both have cake, so yeah." Allen smiled.

The two decided to split the piece in half and then sat next to each other.

Roseline's legs dangled from the chair as she happily munched on the chocolate cake, which was her favorite.

"Mmm! Tis is...really good!" She smiled as she looked at Allen.

"Course it is. Clement made it. He's the cook in town." He explained as he ate as well.

"He's really nice! He gave me a l...lollipop when my daddy brought me to him!" She couldn't stop smiling. It was as if the smile was glued onto her face. First, she got a lollipop from Clement, Rod helped her overcome her fear of animals, Neil gave her the cow plush she adored so much, and Allen became her first official friend. What could be better?

"You look pretty in that dress and when you smile too." Allen smiled.

"Really? Tank you!" Roseline grinned.

"I bet even a princess would be jealous."

* * *

"I bet even a princess would be jealous."

'T-that's exactly what he said!'

Rose smiled. "Well, thank you very much!"

"It was my pleasure." Allen smiled warmly.

"Oh, and thank you for letting me wear these! They're really comfortable."

"I figured you'd like them. They're your favorite color, too. And... voila!" Allen then stood in front of her. "You should let your hair down more often. All the girls would get jealous."

"I guess I should, then. You _are_ the hair stylist after all!" Rose giggled.

* * *

The two were about to go to sleep.

"I should sleep on the couch. You wouldn't want to sleep in the same bed as me since I move around a lot." Rose admitted.

"A princess deserves to sleep comfortable, not in a small space." Allen protested.

"But then you wouldn't be comfortable. Today's your day, so you should at least have a good rest..."

"Really, I don't mind."

"Don't mind waking up every second thanks to me? No thank you!" Rose frowned.

Allen sighed. "Well, your wish is my command..." He handed her a pillow and sheet and she headed towards the couch.

Allen turned off the lights and laid down on his bed, while Rose laid down and covered nearly her whole body with the sheets.

"Good night, Rose." Allen said as he looked at her.

"Good night, Allen! Oh, and happy birthday!" She looked at him and grinned.

"...Thank you." He smiled.

* * *

**Okay, I'm about to make non-human noises at this part! I think this is going to be really cute! I seriously couldn't sleep just thinking of this! ^^**

As they slept, Allen heard a small thud along with a jingle.

He opened his eyes to see Rose's cow plush on the floor and then got out of the bed to pick it up.

'Why's this so special to her...?'

He then looked at Rose and noticed one of her arms and legs dangling from the couch as she slept.

Allen sighed. 'She's too selfish when it comes to her. I bet she'd take a hit for anyone she knows...'

He then picked her up and carried her, one of his arms under her legs and the other under her back.

"Moo..." She muttered in her sleep and slightly stirred.

'She's so cute, though. I wouldn't mind making her mine.' He thought as he slightly blushed and smiled.

Allen gently placed her on his bed and laid down next to her, watching as she stirred from time to time and ocasionally mooed.

"Happy birthday to me indeed."

**So, what did you guys think? I made this chapter long for AshRose, since she really likes the pairing RosexAllen! Allen's the reason why she's always so happy, just in case you were wondering. My best friend, who really doesn't like reading, tells me how much she loves this fanfic and how I'm the main reason she reads! If you knew me for as long as she does, you wouldn't even think I wrote this, since I'm never serious or really interested in romance and cute stuff like that. xD I really liked this chapter! It was sooo romantic it's not even funny. (well, it's not even meant to be funny, but what am I saying, it was the CUTEST thing I've ever written!) At first, I liked RosexNeil and thought maybe she could make him softer and smile more, since she really likes his smile. But, now I think RosexAllen is better! While I was writing this chapter, I listened to "Not a Bad Thing" by Justin Timberlake repeatedly and thought the song goes with the chapter really well! Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! I might need some ideas for the next chapter with Neil, since I was only thinking about ideas for this chapter, so I would REALLY appreciate it if any of you shared an idea with me! This chapter has more than 2,000 words! Hooray! ^^**


	14. Yuri's Mannequin Replacement

**I'll admit, I'm trying a bit too hard in the beginning of the chapter.**

* * *

Rose woke up due to feeling a warm breath on her face.

She opened her eyes to notice Allen, his face close to hers. Allen had planned to kiss her while she slept. **I felt so embarrassed just writing that last sentence!**

Rose's eyes widened as he gave her a peck on the lips that lasted about one minute. **YOU CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT ALLEN!**

"Oh, you've awoken. Good morning." He gave her a smile.

"A-A-A-Allen! I-I-I...Good morning to you too..." Rose stuttered as she covered her mouth and realized she was on his bed.

"W-w-w-why am I on your bed?!" She squeaked and sat up.

"You just couldn't convince me to leave you sleeping uncomfortably on the couch..." Allen said as he sat up and ran his fingers through his hair.

"B-b-but!"

"What would you like for breakfast?"

'H-how's he so calm after that!?'

"Answer my question, Rose..."

"I-I dunno, p-pancakes?!" Rose flailed her arms around, still in shock of what happened earlier.

"You seem surprised." Allen chuckled.

"Y-yeah, w-well when you k-kiss me like t-that-"

"Pancakes, right?" He asked as he stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

"R-right..." Rose muttered as she went into the restroom and changed.

She then got out and sat at the table.

"Did you really wear that dress for me yesterday?" Allen asked as he placed the food on the table and sat across from her.

"W-well, of course...I tried to, at least. I really wanted you to be happy!" Rose smiled and ate.

"You've certainly done more than enough." He gave her a truly sincere smile.

* * *

The two were now outside Allen's door.

"So, uh...I'll see you later, then...?" Rose said nervously.

"I've got to work today since it was delayed due to yesterday's storm." Allen explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll see you when I see you, I guess..." She couldn't get the image of what happened earlier out of her head.

"Same to you."

"T-thank you for s-sort of l-letting me s-stay o-over and c-caring for me and s-stuff..." Rose gave him a small smile.

"The pleasure's all mine." Allen started. "You better let me stay over when your birthday comes. Oh, and...make sure you're the one giving me a kiss." He gave her a playful wink.

Rose slightly jumped and nodded frantically. "Y-y-yeah, okay! I-I-I will! Promise!" She stuttered, her face turning dark red. 'Wait, what did I just say!?'

"I'll be waiting."

"See you later..."

"See you."

* * *

As Rose was in her house, finished changing into her work clothes, since she can't work in a dress, she heard knocking at the door.

She opened the door to see Yuri standing in front of her.

"Hi, Yuri! Do you need anything?"

"Hello...Rose...I need help...My mannequin...It broke...So I sent it over to...Iroha to...Fix it...Can you model for a...New outfit I'm working on?" The fashion designer asked.

"Sure! I'll be glad to help!" Rose smiled. 'As soon as I'm done helping her, I have to tend to Winter. Hopefully this doesn't take a long time...'

As the two headed outside and into town, Neil noticed them walking into Yuri's tailor shop.

Rose was dressed up in a white shirt and blue overalls, along with a red scarf and brown boots with laces tied up.

"Is it...Comfortable?" Yuri asked as she motioned for Rose to turn around.

"It's alright. It's not tight or anything...I think it's pretty cute!" She smiled and moved around.

"...Good. Now for..." The fashion designer nodded and rummaged through her closet to find a hat with a black spot pattern.

As she looked for the hat, Rose played with the red scarf until she heard the store's door creaking open.

"Hey Rose, I saw you coming in here-" Neil froze when he noticed her in the outfit, and to top it all off, Yuri had found the hat and placed it on Rose's head.

He blushed as Rose walked towards him, careful not to ruin the outfit.

"Hey, Neil!" She smiled.

"H-hey..."

"How do I look?" Rose spun around.

"You look...nice...really nice..." Neil muttered as he looked away. 'She looks so...What's the word I'm looking for...?'

"I'm trying this out for Yuri! Her mannequin broke, so I'm helping her." She explained.

"Oh..." 'I think I'd like to see her wear that outfit all day...'

'Neil's looking at me a bit...strangely...Is he okay...?' Rose wondered.

"Can you...wait outside if you...need to...talk to Rose? She'll be out...when she's done helping..." Yuri told him.

"Yeah." And with that, Neil quickly walked outside. He then sat on one of the benches Rose placed the other day and lowered his head into his hands. 'She looked so...cute...And I came only to tell her I couldn't check on Winter yesterday...I wasn't expecting this at all...'

**There's more NeilxRose coming up next chapter! I don't know why, but I'm really active this week! I'm really happy with all of the reviews I've gotten recently! The fanfiction seems to be growing with all of the chapters I'm writing, and I have all of you to thank! ^^ You don't know how happy I am, it's like the feeling you get when it turns out your crush actually likes you back!(I've never had that happen to me, but you get the idea.) In the beginning, I got stuck, but it turned out well. Also, that's Rose when she gets too embarassed to stay calm for you! I noticed that I gave Rose certain...feelings or something similar to that whenever she's with a certain bachelor. Whenever she's with Allen, she gets nervous and stutters a lot, but who wouldn't? Whenever she's with Rod, she's calm and tells him about what she used to do and stuff. Whenever she's with Neil, she's happy and outgoing because she likes him a bit. I think this makes up for a good fanfiction, don't you think? Well, as always, reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted!^^**


	15. Jealousy

"Neil said I looked really nice!"

"Rose...Don't move so much..." Yuri was fixing up the outfit, using a needle to close up some parts of it.

"I'm glad someone other than Allen's complimenting me!"

"Stop...Moving..." It became hard for her to focus with Rose moving around.

"Allen compliments me so mu-EEP!"

As Neil waited for Rose outside Yuri's Tailor Shop, he heard a high-pitched scream and instinctively looked through the window.

While Rose was chatting excitedly, Yuri had accidentally punctured through her arm with the sewing needle.

"T-the needle! Get it out, get it out, get it out!"

"I told you...To stop moving..." She sighed.

"B-but-"

"There...Got it..." Yuri had finally managed to slide the needle out.

"Oww..."

"I...I told you not...To move so much...Rose..."

"I'm...I'm so sorry..."

"...It's alright."

**If I ever had to be someone's mannequin replacement, I'd probably get stabbed by the sewing needle all the time! I can't stay still!**

* * *

A couple of minutes later, Rose came out of the shop, a bandage wrapped around a part of her arm.

"Is everything alright, Rose?" Neil asked in concern.

"Y-yeah! Just me being dumb." She smiled at him.

He sighed. "Just...Take better care of yourself."

Rose nodded. "I'll try, at least. My father always told me I was reckless. Oh, and Yuri let me keep the outfit! Turns out it was for me in the first place!" She grinned as she put the hat on.

"Really?" Neil gave her a small smile.

"Yep! Would you like me to wear it often?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I don't know, my kind of question?" Rose shrugged and giggled.

"Why do I even bother asking...Sure, I guess."

"So, what did you come here for?"

"I was going to tell you that I'm sorry for not checking on Winter yesterday."

"What? I didn't expect you to go at all...There was a storm yesterday..."

"I thought it was only raining." Neil shrugged.

"Well, it's not like there's a big difference or anything...Where I lived, a storm meant staying shut inside your home and not even thinking of going out! Here, a storm's like raining with thunder sound effects. Allen yelled at me for going over to his house yesterday because of it."

"You _would _go out in a storm."

"Wait, out of all places, you went to _Allen's_ _house?_" Neil asked, a slight bit of jealousy in his voice.

"Well, it was his birthday! I'd feel bad for not visiting anyone when their birthday's on a storm! I'd want someone visiting me if mine was on a storm, too!" Rose reasoned.

"What did you do over there?" He asked as they started walking.

"We talked and I ended up having to sleep over. He was worried I would get sick. He's really nice, though! I still can't get over the fact that you think of him as a jerk..."

"Hey, if anyone has an opinion, everyone else is bound to go up against it."

"It's true...Where are we going?" Rose asked.

"Anywhere, I guess." Neil shrugged.

"Winter's getting kind of lonely with me always outside of the farm...Do you have any other animals that can maybe give her some company?"

"I've got chickens. Actually, I might give you one. We just have to keep walking this way." He nodded towards the forest.

"R-really? You don't know how happy I am, Neil! First a moo-cow, now a chicken? I can't wait until I have lots of animals! Hina and the others are going to play with them and you can come over and..." Neil watched as she talked excitedly.

'She really cares about others, doesn't she? And she immediately pulled a smile onto her face right after coming out of Yuri's shop and getting hurt, too...I bet she does that often. Pulls on a smile the second she's hurt, she really doesn't want anyone to worry about her, huh...'

"We're in the forest!"

"Wait here." Neil said as he headed off into a part of the forest Rose hadn't seen before.

"Got it." She nodded.

As she waited, she sat on a log and looked around.

"Boo."

"Ack! Neil, don't do that!" Rose turned to notice Allen.

"You've got the wrong man." He chuckled. "And why Neil? Did he abandon you here, helpless?"

"N-no! He's going to give me a chicken, so I'm waiting for him."

"Pfft. That's so romantic of him..." Allen crossed his arms and huffed.

"W-well, Winter was getting lonely, so I asked him if he had another animal..."

"You and your farming. I'm impressed." He sat next to her.

As he sat next to Rose, she remembered what happened earlier at his house.

"A-Allen, about t-this morning..."

As Neil walked out with a chick in his hands, he noticed Allen talking to Rose and immediately scowled.

'How am I surprised? If he was anywhere, he'd be with Rose...'

He heard them talking.

"A-about that k-kiss this m-morning...I can't g-get over it...S-sorry for b-bringing it up..."

"I can do much better than that, you know..." Allen got closer to her as they talked.

Neil froze and accidentally dropped the chick at hearing their words.

'He...He kissed her!? I've got just about half a mind to-'** He's so jelly!**

Before he could do anything, the chick ran up to the two.

"Peep! Peep!"

"Aww! It's a baby chicken!" Rose giggled as she picked it up and ruffled its feathers.

'If there's a chick here, Neil should be here as well...' Allen thought as he watched her play with the chick.

"Hey."

"Oh,_ hello_, Neil." Allen greeted him with much sarcasm.

Neil only growled and gave Allen a scowl.

"You're back!" Rose stood up, smiling. "Look at her! She's sooo cute and fluffy!"

"Well, I'm glad you like her." Neil smiled as if he hadn't heard what she and Allen said a minute ago.

'He didn't smile so much before, but he seems to be smiling a lot now! It's pretty cute...' Rose thought as she blushed.

"I love her already! I really appreciate it, Neil."

Allen noticed how happy Rose became when Neil appeared.

'She's so happy near him...How come she's not that way near me...?'

**They're so jealous! If I was in Rose's situation, I wouldn't be able to pick! She's basically leading Neil and Allen on without even realizing it! I know I don't put Rod in my chapters as much as I put Neil and Allen in, but I'll put him in for the next chapter! I think Rod would be too soft to get jealous or hate anyone, so that's why I usually put Neil and Allen in one chapter and leave Rod out. Besides, I think it would be pretty cool to see Allen and Neil fight! As always, reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted!^^**


	16. Summer

Rose, Neil, and Allen were heading their way to Rose's farm.

"I can't wait until I show her to Winter! She's going to be so happy!" Rose smiled.

"As long as Winter doesn't step on her, everything should be fine." Neil added in.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. Winter's trustworthy enough not to hurt any other animal." Allen stated.

"You're right! Winter's really nice. Besides, if Winter and the chick are the only animals I have, Winter's basically its babysitter! Heehee, I think it's cute for a moo-cow to care for a chick!" She giggled at the thought.

"What're you going to name her, anyway?"

"I'll name her Summer! She's as bright as the sun! Besides, by the time she's a full-grown chicken, it'll probably be the beginning of Summer."

"That's pretty clever. Why'd you name your cow Winter?" Allen asked, interested.

"Well, she's as white as snow and my birthday's the first day of the season!" Rose grinned.

"Really? You don't look like the type to be born during the cold."

"What do I look like, a Spring, Summer, or Fall?"

"Definitely a Summer." The two young men stated in unison.

Allen and Neil then looked at each other and growled.

"Roses _do_ grow in the summer, after all." Allen reasoned.

"I've heard white roses grow in the Fall..."

"I think he meant _red _roses, to be more _specific_." Neil looked at Allen, a small smirk on his face.

"Oh. I think white roses should grow in the Winter. It would blend in with the snow and everything." Rose said as she ruffled the chick's feathers.

"It would make perfect sense if they did. Can't see why a white rose would grow in the Fall when everything is red and orange, it looks out-of-place." The hair stylist stated.

"If there were roses for every season, that'd be pretty cool. Pink for Spring, red for Summer, orange or yellow for Fall, and white for Winter!"

"Plants are plants. Nothing anyone can do about it." The animal dealer ended the conversation.

"..."

"Well, I'll be seeing you, Princess. I have something to get to." Allen then gave Rose a quick peck on the cheek and headed towards his house.

"...S-see you, A-Allen..." She waved nervously.

Neil noticed how quickly Rose blushed as Allen kissed her.

'She's so red...Does she like him?'

**If it was for me, I'd end the chapter right there, but I promised I'd put Rod in!**

* * *

As the two walked silently, they heard someone calling out.

"Hey, you guys!"

They turned to see Rod running towards them with Winnie at his side.

"Hi, Rod!" Rose greeted him as he caught up to the two.

"Hey. I was just taking a walk with Winnie, when I saw you two. Are you guys busy or anything?" He asked as Rose bent down to introduce Summer to Winnie.

"Yeah." Neil started. "I gave Rose a chick earlier, so I'm going to teach her how to care for it."

Summer pecked Winnie's nose playfully and the dog licked the chick in response.

"It can't be that hard, right?" She stood up.

"Sounds like fun! Mind if I tag along?" Rod asked eagerly as Winnie barked excitedly.

"Sure!" Rose grinned.

"The more, the merrier..." Neil sighed.

"Should I go ahead and care for Winter? I mean, I don't want you to get bored while waiting or anything..."

"I'm better off watching you care for Winter."

"Yeah! I might learn to care for animals by watching you, Rose!" Rod grinned.

"Heh, I guess so!" 'Wow, someone actually wants to learn from watching me do something...Hopefully I don't get nervous and mess things up!'

* * *

Rod and Neil watched as Rose brushed Winter silently in her barn.

'She's not saying anything...Usually she talks so much, but I've never seen her this quiet before...' Neil thought as he leaned against the wall, a slightly concerned look on his face.

'Is...Is Rose alright? It looks like something's bothering her...' Rod wondered.

'M-my arm hurts so much...And just when I was going to impress him! But...I can't brush Winter with my other hand, it'd probably irritate her...' Rose thought as she slowly brushed the cow. 'Come on, They're probably tired of waiting! I could just feel their eyes looking at me...For them being just two people, I feel so much pressure...But why?'

Neil and Rod exchanged worried looks when they noticed Rose brushing even slower and eventually stop.

"Hey, Rose, are you alright?" Neil asked as he walked over to her side.

"Y-yep! It's nothing." She nodded quickly and continued brushing.

'She's using the injured arm...'

"I'll help you." He then placed his hand on Rose's hand that held the brush.

'Her hand's so small and soft...I wouldn't mind holding her hand once in a while...Wait, what?'

Without thinking, she nearly let go in surprise, but Neil's tight grip kept her hand in place.

"T-thank you, N-Neil...I don't k-know what h-happened..." She said, looking up at him.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." He gave her a warm smile and Rose blushed.

She smiled back as they brushed the cow together, side by side.

**I don't know why, but as I wrote that last sentence, I imagined Little Roseline in her red dress brushing Winter with Neil as he is now! It looked sooo cute! **

**I was stuck around the part where Allen left, but I managed to pull through just fine! More RodxRose and possibly NeilxRose coming up in the next chapter! Also, Felicity's birthday's coming up in a few chapters! I've got a couple of good ideas for the sleepover! I was going to make Rod give Rose the puppy in this chapter, but that's going to have to wait for a couple more chapters. I get really embarassed whenever I read one of the old chapters while I'm planning for a new one. Seriously, sometimes, I can't believe I actually wrote all of that! I was very active this week because my school was having exams for three days, so we went to school later than usual and I had no homework or anything alike to that. I'll be going back to uploading a chapter per week, since I have a strict schedule for getting on the computer. What pairing/ship do you think's better, AllenxRose, NeilxRose, or RodxRose? I'm in a tie between Allen and Neil! As usual, reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	17. Kindness

"Turns out she got injured by '_just being dumb_'." Neil explained when Rod had asked what was wrong with Rose.

"I wouldn't stop moving and Yuri accidentally pierced my arm with the sewing needle..."

"Just be more careful, okay? I bet most of the town would worry if you got hurt. Besides, you're the only farmer and the town's depending on you! I...I was worried about you, you know..." Rod told Rose, a serious expression on his face.

He really enjoyed talking with her at the mountains the other day. Since she told him about the party, Rod felt like protecting her and he always wanted to hear her soft calm voice whenever they talked.

"Mm-hmm. I'll be more careful." Rose nodded.

'He's really serious...I should at least be more careful for him. The problem is, I'm too reckless and I don't think about what I'm doing much...'

"That's great to hear!" Rod gave her a big grin.

* * *

Neil was finished teaching Rose how to care for chickens.

"Lastly, when your chick is fully grown, they'll lay eggs. Chickens won't lay eggs if you leave them out during the night, so make sure to bring them in. If you do, don't get angry when there's no egg on their nest."

"Got it! How much for Summer, then?" Rose asked as she started to get out her gold.

"Nothing." Neil said simply.

**In the chapter where Neil gives Rose Winter, he gets angry at Dunhill and says he didn't want to give her the cow for free since she'd expect him to give her _all_ of his animals for free. Who's talking now? **

"What? But I have to pay _something_!"

"Just take her as a gift. It's nothing."

"Okay, then. Thank you so much for giving her to me!" She smiled.

"No problem."

"Wow, Neil, that was really unexpected of you, giving someone something for free!" Rod joined in.

"W-what're you saying? You're just making things up!" Neil growled as he hit Rod on the back of his head; however, he was slightly blushing.

"Oww..."

Rose giggled. "Well, I'm glad Winter has someone to play with. Isn't that right?" She asked as she hugged the cow.

"Moo!"

"I almost forgot! Here, Neil." She dug into her bag to find a bottle of milk and then gave it to him.

"Hey, thanks." He smiled.

"I know it's not much, but I wanted to say thank you for being with me today and everything! I really enjoyed today." Rose grinned.

"I...enjoyed it, too. I...um...I'm going to go now. I'll...see you tomorrow." Neil waved as he left the farm, his head full of thoughts of Rose.

"That's not the usual Neil I know." Rod stated.

"...You're right. He was so...mean before." Rose added.

"He's getting soft! He's been like this since you came, so he's probably getting used to you, Rose!" He smiled.

"M-me?"

"Yeah! You're, like, the nicest person I've ever met! It's probably rubbing off onto him!"

"Well, if you say so, then it probably is!" Rose grinned.

"I didn't think he'd change so quickly, though...It took me about a year to actually get on his good side, but it only took you a month! Maybe he likes you."

"N-no way! S-sure he's getting nice, but that doesn't mean he likes me!" Rose exclaimed, shaking her head and waving her arms around frantically.

'I-it's too quick for Neil to like me already! But...what if he does? I...I guess I sort of like him, but I don't expect him to like me that quickly! I can't forget about Allen, either. I think he likes me, even a bit. A bit? Try a lot! Besides, what if one of the girls like Allen or Neil? What'll happen then? Ugh, why am I thinking so hard about this? I'm going to get-'

"Are you sure you're alright, Rose?" Rod asked as he looked into her eyes, a worried look on his face.

"Huh? Yep! I'm alright. I'm just...thinking." She nodded and smiled.

'If only I thought this much when I'm doing reckless things...'

"I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Hmm?"

"Would you...like to go to Clement's restaurant and eat with me when you're free? J-just as a little chat, though!" Rod added the last sentence quickly as his cheeks grew red.

"Sure. What day do you have in mind?"

"I dunno, this S-Sunday? B-but it's okay if you don't want to, I know you have farm work and all that-" Rod started to talk quickly and his face grew redder.

"It's okay! Now it's my turn to ask you: Are you alright? You're turning as red as a cherry and you're talking so quickly, I can't keep up!" Rose giggled.

"Whew! For a minute I thought you'd say...Yeah, I'm fine!" Rod nodded quickly.

"Wait, what's today? I lost track..."

"Today's the seventeenth!"

"Yesterday was...Okay, I've got it. I'll see you on Sunday, then."

"See ya on Sunday! C'mon, Winnie!" Rod waved as he left the farm.

Before the dog went to follow Rod, she licked Rose's face as she bent down. "I'll see you later, Winnie."

**This was one of the hardest chapters I've written so far. Usually, whenever I'm stuck in a part, I get through in the same day, but yesterday I was stuck and got through the part this afternoon. Sorry if you were expecting a new chapter yesterday! I decided to make someone notice how kind Neil's getting, so yep! I'll leave it to this since I have to go now. Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	18. The Spying Trio

The next morning, Neil was walking to Rose's farm to check on Winter and Summer.

He arrived at the door and paused.

'If she was sleeping in the barn when I gave her Winter, she's probably sleeping in there again with Summer...'

He opened the barn doors to see Rose sleeping, her back lay on Winter and the chick slept in her arms.

"Moo..."

'I sort of want to let her sleep, but...'

"Rose, wake up." He said as he shook her.

"Yawn...Oh! Good morning, Neil!" Rose greeted as she stood up.

"Morning." Neil started. "Are you going to sleep in the barn every time I give you an animal?"

"I guess...They're just so...Yawn...Cuddly..." She said as she ruffled Summer's feathers. "Morning, Winter and Summer!"

"Moo!"

"Peep! Peep!"

"You're here to check on them, right?" Rose handed the chick to Neil as she dusted off the hay and dirt from her clothes.

"Yeah." Neil nodded as he petted Summer and then checked on Winter.

After he finished checking on the animals, Rose thanked him.

"It's nothing."

"Oh, and you don't have to check on them _every _day, you know. I don't mind the company in the morning, though." She gave him a smile.

"Well, there's nothing for me to do before I set up shop, so I might as well just come here." Neil shrugged. "If that's okay with you."

"Sure! Sounds good."

"Winter and Summer seem to be doing well. Keep it up." He smiled and then left.

* * *

As Rose walked around town, she noticed Dunhill talking with someone she hasn't seen before in front of an eastern-style house.

"Mornin', Rose! Just the farmer I wanted to talk to!" Dunhill greeted when he noticed Rose walked up to the two.

'I'm the only farmer in town, though...'

"Good morning, Dunhill. Who's with you?" She asked as she looked at the person.

He was a tall man with brown eyes and hair which reached to his shoulders. He wore a purple robe.

"Well, aren't you quite the young one! I'm Soseki." He introduced himself.

"I'm Rose, the farmer in town!" She smiled.

"Rose, do you have any time to show Soseki around town? Ya know, get him used to the place." Dunhill offered.

"I'm sure I don't need a young woman showing me around." The man protested as he crossed his arms.

"Don't worry. Out of all the villagers in this town, Rose knows the town best!"

* * *

As Allen headed out, he saw Rose walking alongside Soseki around the town.

'Who's this?' He thought as he was about to talk towards the two, when he noticed them laughing together.

"You're...really funny, you know!"

"Surprised, are you? To tell you the truth, I didn't think you'd laugh at the jokes this old man tells!"

That was when Allen noticed Rod walking by, a slight skip in his step.

He quickly grabbed Rod's arm and brought him over to a bush nearby the two.

"Wha-? Allen, what're you doing?"

"Look at them."

"Look at who-Are you spying on Rose!?" Rod asked when he saw the two.

"Shh! They're heading over to Clement's."

"You're spying on Rose!"

"Be quiet!"

"What're you two idiots doing?"

The two turned to see Neil, his arms crossed.

"Shh!" Allen hissed as Rod only shrugged.

"He's spying on Rose..."

"I am not! I am merely watching her activity with...whoever he is." Allen pointed to the two, but they had already disappeared into the restaurant.

"I don't see anything. Knowing you, you're probably hallucinating." Neil huffed as he looked to where the hair stylist was pointing and shook his head.

"No, really! I saw her walking with some...guy into Clement's restaurant!" Rod explained.

"Get down! They'll see you!"

"Why should I? They'll probably notice your dumb hiding spot..." Neil stated, but he hid with them, curious to see what was happening.

"And yet you bother to hide with us." Allen started."What? Couldn't find another hiding spot?" He smirked.

"Shut up."

* * *

"This is Clement, the restaurant owner!"

"Yes, yes! Come and try my delicious food sometime!"

"I will."

"Well, now I'm going to show you to the Tea Shop owner! She's really nice! Come on!"

* * *

"Now they're outside..."

"How long are you planning on-" Neil complained, when Allen interrupted.

"They're heading to the Tea Shop!"

"Allen, isn't it rude to spy on people like this?" Rod asked, worried.

"Next thing you know, they're going on a date! And if they are, I'm going to have to stop it."

"Gee, stalker much?"

"You be quiet, Neil!" Allen growled.

"Besides, he's too old for her. I mean, look at him. He's growing stubble."

"A-a d-date? B-but Rose is going to go on a date...I mean a visit to the restaurant with me this Sunday!" Rod piped up.

Neil and Allen looked at Rod with suspicion and then looked at each other.

"Hey, Rod why don't you do something useful like oh, I don't know, be our bait?"

"Bait? Like what?"

"Bait like this!" The two kicked Rod out of the bush.

* * *

"Where could he be?" Rose asked herself as she knocked on Rod's door."Neil and Allen aren't in their homes, either..."

"I may be wrong, but do you think they could be doing something?"

"I don't know...They're usually always in their homes whenever I come over..."

"Oof! H-hey!"

The two turned to see Rod sitting on the ground and rubbing his head.

"Rod, where were you? I've been looking for you, Allen, and Neil everywhere!"

"N-nowhere! I was just...f-forget about it! W-what's going on?" Rod asked as he stood up.

"I was showing Soseki around town. He's a new villager!" Rose indicated to Soseki.

The two then introduced each other.

"Y-you're still going to Clement's with me this Sunday, r-right?" Rod asked anxiously.

"Mmm-hmm! Why, is anything wrong?"

"J-just checking! I'll, uh, see you later!"

"See you later..."

"He's certainly a strange one..."

"He's not like this at all...Is something bothering him?"

* * *

"Nice job, guys!" Rod growled with much sarcasm as he ran up to Neil and Allen.

"So, what happened?"

"They're not on a date at all! They barely even know each other! Rose is just showing him around town..."

"Hah, he looked too old for her anyways." Allen chuckled.

"I think he _is _too old for her..." Neil added.

The three shuddered.

"Well, that's one case solved. He better be glad I didn't walk up to him and teach him not to get near my princess." Allen huffed.

"_Your _princess?! Says who?" Neil growled.

"Says me."

"Guys, I don't think Rose belongs to anyone...She _is_ a really good friend, though." Rod joined in.

"Shut up, Rod!"

** Well, this is as much as I can think of for this week... Someone told me the idea of a new villager coming to town and Rose having to show him around. Allen, Neil, and Rod get suspicious and start thinking it's a date. I might redo this chapter and make it way better than it is now, but that'll have to wait for a while... Any ideas for the sleepover which might be coming next chapter? Don't worry, I'm not making this fanfic RosexSoseki or anything! That'd just be...weird... As always, reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	19. Sleepover Part 1

"Heehee, today's Felicity's birthday! What're you getting her?" Michelle asked Rose the next day.

"Well, she loves food, right? Maybe I could make her something."

"Ooh, You know what she loves the most!? Angler Fish Stew! She'd marry whoever gives it to her!"

"I might reconsider then..." Rose stated jokingly.

"Aww, come on! You know what I'm saying!"

"I'll try my best to catch the best fish I can, then. Maybe I could use the crops Emma gave me as well."

"Just get a fishing rod from Kosaburo! Then it'll be as easy as magic to make the food for her!"

"Is magic that easy, anyway?"

"Well, when you focus! I remember once when I was trying to make a rabbit jump out of my hat, but I was thinking about dogs, and one jumped out instead of a rabbit!" The magician giggled.

"That sounds cool, though! You can just make Angler Fish Stew appear out of nowhere then, right?"

"Are you crazy? It'll all come out as mush! Besides, it'll taste terrible, and I say that from experience!"

"Wow...Magic must be complicated, then."

"Well, I have tons of experience with it, so there's no need to worry about a thing!"

"About the sleepover, are only the girls coming?"

"We have a sleepover whenever it's one of our birthdays! The boys come and it's really fun!"

"Wait, the boys come too? Like Allen, Neil, and Rod?"

"Yep! We've already invited them!"

"So they sleep with us?!" Rose exclaimed, slight panic in her voice.

"What, no! The girls sleep on one side of the room, while the boys sleep on the other!"

"T-that's not what I meant!"

"Calm down! Is this your first sleepover or something?"

"Y-yeah!"

"Well, I've got to try extra hard to make this one awesome! I host the sleepover and decorate the room and..." The magician continued explaining about how she hosts just about every sleepover and party that's ever happened in town.

'S-so, they're coming too? Allen's sure to do something... How'd Neil accept, anyway? He's not the type to go to sleepovers...or anything in that matter!'

"H-how'd you get Neil to accept?"

"He didn't want to go at first and he asked who would be coming. I told him you were coming, and he mulled it over for a bit. Then he just nodded and that was it."

"Oh. And Allen?"

"Well, he knew you were coming, so that was an obvious choice. He likes you, you know. It's pretty cute! You two look so alike, too!" Michelle giggled.

"W-what? H-how did you-" Rose turned red as she talked.

"It's so easy to tell! He's always talking about you!"

"S-so? W-we're best friends!"

"Rose, we're _all_ best friends. We don't just go talking about how cute we are and-"

"I-I get it! J-just...Uh...I'll go and buy the fishing rod from Kosaburo! I'll see you at the sleepover, Michelle." Rose waved as she headed to the fishing couple's house.

"See ya at the sleepover!"

* * *

Rose had finally managed to gather all the ingredients and made Angler Fish Stew for Felicity.

As she headed towards the Inn, she noticed Iroha walking to the Inn as well and ran to catch up to her.

"Hey, Iroha!"

"Hello, Rose. I see you were invited to the sleepover as well." She stated when she noticed Rose holding a bag in her hands.

"Yep! I'm really excited! This is the first sleepover I've been to!"

"Well, you will be surprised at how Michelle does sleepovers. Oh, but I shouldn't ruin it for you. By the time your birthday comes, you'll be expecting everything. The only thing I will say though, is that we do sleepovers much more differently than other towns. That shows how close we girls are!" Iroha smiled.

"That sounds amazing! Michelle told me the boys were coming, too. Is every sleepover like that?"

The blacksmith nodded. "We're here."

* * *

The two went inside the Inn and entered Felicity's room.

Before Rose could look around, Michelle ran up to the two.

"You're here!" Michelle grinned. "Go change into your pajamas in the bathroom. Felicity's not here yet!"

"You go first, Iroha. I'll look around."

"No, I insist." Iroha gave the farmer a smile and stepped aside.

"Okay, then."

Rose then stepped into the bathroom and changed into her cow pajamas. The shirt and pants were short-sleeved and the color red surrounded the black spotted cows.

"Whoa! It's so...full of food..." She exclaimed when she noticed the food on the table.

"Might as well fill it with stuff she loves, right?" Michelle asked as Rose set the food on the table.

"So, how does the whole sleepover thing work, anyway?"

"It's like a surprise party! One of us tries to stall Felicity until the party's all ready to go, and we all get ready too!"

"That's awesome! So, we hide when she's coming?"

"Exactly!"

"Okay, then! Sounds like fun!"

"I'll tell you when she's coming. Tina's the one who'll be bringing her here. You're free to just look around!"

"Got it."

* * *

As Rose looked around, she noticed Allen and Rod sitting by Neil, who was very irritated.

"I swear, if Michelle lied to me, I'm out of here..." Neil growled.

"Hey, you guys!" Rose grinned as she ran over to the three.

Neil's pajamas looked similar to his usual outfit, his shirt red and his pants camo.

Rod's pajamas were a bright yellow and light blue, his shirt and pants short-sleeved.

"Rose! You made it!" Rod smiled as he, Neil, and Allen walked up to her.

"Hey, Rose." Neil greeted.

"Hey, Princess. Enjoying everything so far?" Allen asked as he placed a peck on her cheek.

"Y-yeah..." Rose muttered.

"You're so predictable. I just knew you'd wear something with animals. You look pretty cute, actually." He smiled.

"Th-thank you..."

"What'd you get for Felicity?" Rod asked.

"I brought her Angler Fish Stew. I just hope she's happy with it!"

"I'm sure she'll like it! If you're a good cook, that is."

"She's going to love it. You don't know how much of a good cook Rose is." Allen told him.

"Hello, Neil...Are you enjoying the party so far?"

Rose heard Iroha and Neil chatting.

"It's...alright."

"Well, I hope you become interested in the party sooner or later. You...usually don't come to parties Michelle hosts. Did anything different make you want to come?"

"No reason. I just wanted to change things up, I guess." Neil lied.

Actually, Neil only came to the party to talk to Rose. He really enjoyed just watching her talk excitedly about animals. He also liked the bright smile Rose always gave him. Whenever he'd see her smile, he felt that it was different from the ones she gave to everyone else.

Iroha smiled. "I am very glad that you came this time, Neil. Parties don't feel complete without you."

"Whatever."

Soon, Yuri came into the room and she was talking with Michelle.

"I...don't know what happened...She said Allen compliments her so much...I don't know...I got jealous and hurt her with...the needle...I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry about that! She knows you didn't mean to hurt her! Besides, maybe it's not jealousy. I mean, mistakes happen! Even my magic goes terribly wrong!" Michelle reassured her.

"I'm not sure..."

* * *

After a while, Michelle abruptly turned off the lights.

Rose just stood there, confused at what was happening.

She then felt something grabbing both of her hands and looked up to see Allen and Neil giving each other glares.

"She's hiding with me!" Neil growled.

"Over my corpse!" Allen growled back.

"Huh? What's going on...?"

"Felicity's here!"

"Let her go! She's mine!" Neil shouted.

"No, she's mine! You think I'd let her go to you?" Allen glared.

**Cliffhanger! I really couldn't decide whether to choose Neil or Allen at this point! Also, Iroha likes Neil while Yuri likes Allen. I think I'll make Felicity like Rod. Or Tina. The party continues in the next chapter. Decisions, decisions... I might write the next chapter today as well! Reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	20. Sleepover Ends

**Some stuff's going to happen in this chapter. That's a warning.**

Allen and Neil's grasp on Rose's wrists got tighter as they fought.

"Damn it, Allen! Let her go!"

"In your dreams, rock star wannabe!"

"What did you just call me?!"

"Oh, you heard me alright!"

"G-guys...L-let go...!"

The two looked at Rose in surprise and let go of her.

"Oww..." She winced as she rubbed her wrists.

"Look what you did to Rose!"

The two continued bickering as Rod grabbed Rose's hand and brought her over to his side.

"You alright? They've been fighting a lot this week." He asked as they hid.

"Y-yeah. How come they're fighting?"

"I don't know...Whenever your name comes up, they start fighting like cat and dog." He shrugged.

"They're fighting over me...?"

"Looks like it."

"It's my fault..." Rose sighed as she watched the two look around.

"Damn it! It's all your fault, Allen!"

"_My fault?_ I'm protecting my princess from jerks like you!"

"She's not yours!"

"So, you're saying she's _yours_?"

They kept on arguing as they hid.

The door then opened to reveal Tina and Felicity and Tina turned the lights on.

"Happy birthday!" Everyone but Allen, Neil, Rod, and Rose exclaimed excitedly.

"Heehee! Thank you soooo much, you guys!" The waitress grinned as the girls ran over to her and had a group hug.

* * *

"So, what're we going to do now?" Rose asked.

"We're going to play games! I have a special game in mind for last~" Michelle giggled.

"That's not good..." Neil muttered.

"Come on! It can't be that bad, right?" Tina asked. She then noticed Rose and Allen sitting next to each other. "We meet again, lovebirds!"

Rose blushed and Allen smirked.

"Says the one sitting next to Rod."

Rod then tensed up.

"You don't see me going on dates with Rod, do ya?" Tina retorted back, slightly blushing. "You've probably gone on dates with Rose so many times, I can't even keep count!"

"They're just chats..." Rose added silently.

"What's the difference?" Allen asked as he looked at her playfully.

From the corner of her eye, Rose saw Neil's hands clenching into fists and when she looked at him, he looked directly at her with a scowl.

"E-every...th-thing..." She muttered as she quickly looked away, her face burning up.

"Come on, don't hide your beautiful face like that." Allen purred in her ear.

'Now's not the time...' Rose thought as she faced forward, trying her best to ignore Neil's glare.

"Felicity! Pick a game from the hat!" Michelle handed the waitress a hat with paper scraps inside.

"Ooh...Let's see...Pin the tail on the donkey!"

"Isn't that for kids?"

"You're never too old for kid games!"

* * *

First, it was Felicity's turn to pin the tail.

Tina tied the blindfold around her head and spun her around three times.

She then let her go and Felicity stumbled a bit.

"Watch out, Feli! Are ya trying to pin the tail on the donkey or on Iroha?" Tina giggled as Felicity walked towards the blacksmith.

"I don't know where I am!" The waitress exclaimed as she outstretched her arms.

"That's the point!" Everyone laughed as Felicity pinned the tail on Iroha's shirt.

"F-Felicity!" She exclaimed, slightly giggling as she took the blindfold off her head.

"Did I get it? Did I?"

"You pinned the tail on the blacksmith, alright!"

"Oops! Heehee!" Felicity grabbed the pin and looked around.

"How'd I end up here?"

"Magic!" Michelle giggled.

"Next up, Rose!"

Rose nervously stepped up and Tina tied the blindfold around her head.

The farmer couldn't help but giggle excitedly as she was being spun around.

When Rose was let go, she nearly tripped, but she regained her balance.

She walked directly forward, her arms outstretched.

"Look at her go. Straight towards her man." Tina joked as Rose walked towards Allen.

"Huh? What was that?" Rose instinctively turned back.

"Oh, nothing."

Just when she was about to bump into Allen, she froze and then turned around.

Neil snickered. "Talk about rejection."

"Can anyone give me a hint of where I'm going? I'm clueless..."

"I wish I could..." Rod said as he watched Rose walk all the way across the room and bump into the wall.

"Oof!"

"This is too amusing." Allen had to cover his mouth to keep in his laughter as she patted the wall and pinned it.

"This is too much!" Tina laughed loudly as Rose took off the blindfold.

"Huh? Where's everyone?"

She turned around to see everyone laughing and sighed.

"I never was good at party games..." Her shoulders slumped. "I wasn't even close..."

"Don't worry about it, Rose!" Michelle started. "Just wait for the last game~" She smiled mischievously.

* * *

Felicity picked another game from Michelle's hat.

"Ooh! Twister!" She exclaimed as she waved the scrap of paper high in the air.

"Of course." Neil groaned. "Just about every event needs that game."

"Come on, Neil. If you didn't want to play, then you shouldn't have come." Rod stated.

"I have my reasons." He crossed his arms and glanced over at Rose, who was sitting next to Allen.

"Okay guys, everything's ready! I'll spin!" Michelle stated as she held the spinner and everyone got on the mat.

Rose ended up getting so close to Neil that she was shaking from fear. 'I made him angry, didn't I? He's glared at me like that since before we started the games and it's scaring me...'

Neil noticed her shaking when she stood in front of him.

"Hey...Are you okay...?" He asked, slightly concerned.

"I-I'm o-okay!" She nodded quickly and avoided his gaze.

Yuri ended up getting close to Allen and blushed.

"Hello...Allen...Enjoying everything...?"

"Everything's going well." He shrugged.

"I-I really don't want to play anymore..." Rose muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Neil asked.

"Nothing..."

"You've been acting really strange. Anything going on?"

"No...I'm fine."

"If you're fine, then look at me." He said strictly, crossing his arms.

Rose looked up slowly, hoping Neil wasn't glaring at her like before.

'I wish I had my plush in my hands so that I could squeeze its head off...'

"Was that so hard?"

"Why...Why were you gl-glaring at me be-before?" She squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"I was just being stupid. Why, were you scared or something?"

"..."

Neil sighed.

"I scared you, didn't I?...Sorry."

"Don't worry. I'm just glad you're not angry with me." Rose gave him a big smile.

"Yeah..." He blushed and looked away.

* * *

"Last game!" Michelle announced.

"She talked so much about the last game. I'm really curious to know what it is..."

"Everyone sit in a circle while I go get something."

Of course, Allen sat next to Rose and Neil sat on her other side.

Everyone's eyes widened when they noticed Michelle holding a bottle in her hand.

"Hah, this looks exciting." Allen chuckled.

"I know where this is going..." Neil groaned.

"Oh no..." Rose gulped as Michelle placed the bottle in the middle of the circle and then joined in.

"We're going to play spin the bottle!" She grinned.

Tina giggled excitedly as she looked at Rod.

"Can I not play?" Rose asked quickly.

Allen and Neil looked at her in surprise.

"I...really don't want to..." She admitted, anxiety lurking in her voice.

"You can't back outta this one! I prepared this game especially for you, Rose!"

"O-okay...Wait, why?"

"No reason~"

"Okay, Felicity goes first! You better pucker up, boys!"

"Eh." The three shrugged.

Everyone watched as the waitress spun the bottle and it landed on...

"Rod!"

Felicity crawled over to the pet shop keeper and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

Tina slightly growled.

"Up next, Allen!"

Rose slightly jumped.

He spun the bottle and everyone watched.

'I never liked this game! If the bottle lands on me, he can just kiss me on the cheek like he always does. Or what if...he kisses me like he did after his birthday? He and Neil were fighting over me earlier. What if Neil likes me, too? No, that's impossible...I heard Iroha likes him. She's much better for him than I am...Yuri likes Allen, too. She'll be heartbroken! Just by looking at Tina, I can tell she likes Rod. They do look pretty cute toge-'

Rose's thoughts were interrupted when Allen suddenly held her chin and pulled her face up to meet his.

"Huh? What's going-Mmph!" She exclaimed when he kissed her.

"Woo-hoo! Just as planned!" Michelle squealed in delight.

**It was obvious. **

Rose couldn't even think anymore as Allen's kiss became even deeper as his tongue entered her mouth.

'C-can't move! I want to push him away but...I sort of...like it...' She thought as his tongue started to intertwine with hers.

It was when Rose let out a small moan that Neil snapped.

It was all smiles for Iroha, until the animal dealer tackled the hair stylist.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" He shouted angrily.

The farmer fell back, panting heavily.

**It starts getting serious at this part. You might want to stop reading...**

"I'd do more, but it seems I'm limited." Allen smirked as he licked his lips.

"I swear to Goddess I will-" Neil growled, when he was interrupted.

"You guys! How many times are you two going to keep on fighting?" Rod said as he separated the two.

"As many times as we can until-"

They heard coughing and turned to see Iroha rubbing Rose's back.

"It will be alright, Rose." The blacksmith reassured her.

"Y-yeah...I-it'll be al-alright..."

'I know I'm weak, but...I can't even handle kisses?' Rose thought as she coughed.

"You took it too far, you idiot!" Neil scowled at Allen.

"I couldn't handle it. It's as if she's just _begging_ me to kiss her." The hair stylist gave him a mischievous smile.

"Oh, that's it!"

"*Cough cough* J-just st-stop, okay?" Rose said just as Neil was about to tackle Allen again.

"You're so lucky I care more about Rose than beating your sorry ass."

"I'd say you're lucky I didn't lay a finger on you yet. You wouldn't have-"

"Let's eat!" Michelle announced.

* * *

Everyone except Rose, who was thinking deeply, headed into the kitchen to make some s'mores.

"Eep!" Rose heard a squeal.

"Aww, the chocolate's all over my favorite pink pajamas!" She heard Michelle whine.

"I can't believe you did that, though...Rose has a weak body...Why make her go through that?" Iroha asked the magician quietly, although Rose could hear.

"Wait, what did you say? She has a weak body?" Tina asked.

"She told me not to tell anyone, but..."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I wouldn't have even come up with the game if you had told me..."

"She didn't want anyone worrying about her. She's like that..." Neil answered and sighed before Iroha could speak.

"Rose said she can't handle not breathing for even a short amount of time. It was caused by an incident, but she couldn't tell me." The blacksmith added.

"We have to ask Dunhill about that. He's known her since she was born. If we want to be great friends, we have to know her weaknesses, too. And we can't prank her too hard, either. She's too soft..."

Everyone came out of the kitchen and sat on the floor to eat.

"Wanna join us?" Rod asked as he looked towards the farmer.

"No, thank you." She shook her head as she fumbled with her plush.

Allen stood up and sat next to her on her sleeping bag.

"My apologies, Princess."

"What're you apologizing for? Everything's okay."

"Rose..." He said with a concerned look on his face.

"Please stop worrying..."

"How can I when I can't stand seeing you this way?"

"Look! I'm fine!" Rose suddenly grabbed Allen's hands and held them tightly as she grinned.

"If you say so and give me that cute smile of yours, I guess I should stop worrying." He smiled back and ruffled her hair.

* * *

"G'night, you guys! Rose, you enjoy this sleepover?" Tina asked as she turned to the farmer.

"Yep! It was great for my first sleepover! I really appreciate you guys making this better just for me." She smiled.

"I put all the food in the refrigerator for breakfast tomorrow if any of you want a snack." Felicity told everyone.

"Alright, then. Good night!"

Everyone said good night and went to sleep.

As Rose covered herself in the covers, she heard whispering.

"Rose."

She sat up and saw Neil sitting in front of her.

"Is anything wrong, Neil?" She asked.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mm-hmm. Ask away."

"Do you...like Allen?"

"Well..." She started as she looked at the hair stylist.

"We're great friends, so I'd say a bit. Besides, why the question?"

"No reason. Just curious. Good night, then." He said as he headed off to his sleeping bag.

"Night..."

**I'm not very fond of this chapter, actually...I don't know why I made it so serious at the end, I just felt like writing something that wasn't expected or anything like that. Well, more of Rose is revealed! As always, reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	21. Girl Chat

"Moo..."

"Just look at her."

"Heehee, she doesn't know what's coming!"

"Course she doesn't, she's sleeping, you idiots."

"She looks so peaceful..."

"No one asked for your opinion, Rod!"

"Who asked for yours, then?"

"Are you sure this is okay, Michelle? What if we prank her too hard?"

"She can handle a little whipped cream! She can't be _that _weak!"

"She's right, whipped cream never hurt anybody!"

"I want some whipped cream..."

"Feli, you always want any edible thing you see!"

"Who'll do the honors?"

"I'll do it."

"You wish! I'm going to do it!"

"Don't start now..."

* * *

As Rose slept, she felt something tickle her nose.

"Ah...Achoo!"

Her sneeze made her quickly sit up and her face landed into a plate of whipped cream.

SPLAT!

"Aww, man!"

Everyone laughed as Rose whined and wiped her face.

"Ooh, whipped cream!" She then licked her fingers and looked up to notice Michelle holding the plate and Allen holding a feather he used to tickle her nose. The feather was a bright blue.

"How's that for a good morning?" Michelle asked, giggling.

"Very delicious!"

"Good morning, Princess." The hair stylist gave the farmer a warm smile as he wiped some whipped cream off of her face. "Missed a spot."

"Heehee, good morning, Allen!" Rose giggled and grinned widely.

"You guys, I'm going to open the presents now!" Felicity announced as she headed over to a table with wrapped gifts on top of it.

* * *

Tina's gift turned out to be a basket full of fruits.

"Hey, you have to watch your diet too, you know!"

"Okay, last gift!" Felicity then looked over to see the Angler Fish Stew Rose made for her.

"You didn't!" She exclaimed as she ran over to the farmer and hugged her.

"I did!" Rose hugged her back.

"Thank you soooo much, Rose! I'd marry you if I could!"

"I told you she'd say that!" Michelle giggled and leaned forward, her hands on her hips.

"In fact, I'll eat it right now for breakfast!" Felicity headed over to the kitchen and took out a spoon. She then began eating quickly.

"If we had an eating contest, Feli would win hands down!" Tina giggled.

"How does she eat so quickly?"

"Dunno. That's just how much she loves food!"

* * *

Everyone got ready and were saying their goodbyes.

"I'm looking forward to the next sleepover already!" Michelle grinned.

"When's the next sleepover, anyway?" Rose asked, eager for the next sleepover as well.

"The twelfth of Summer, Tina's birthday!"

"Sounds like it's going to take a while until that comes along."

"Don't worry! Time'll fly by reaal quickly!"

"Did you see how happy Iroha was during the sleepover?" Tina joined in.

"Maybe it's because Neil came this time!" Felicity grinned. "Didn't you know, Rose? Iroha really likes him!"

"She does?"

"You have no idea how long she's liked him!" The magician stated as she watched the blacksmith chatting with the animal dealer.

"She's liked him...long before you came, Rose...She still hasn't...given up for some reason..." Yuri added.

"Oh..."

"Don't act like you weren't happy too, Yuri! We saw you chatting with Allen!" Tina giggled.

The fashion designer became flushed and turned away.

"W-well..."

"Speaking of boys...You got anyone in mind, Rose?" Michelle asked mischievously.

"Wh-what're you saying?"

"Come on, you can tell us! We promise not to tell anyone!" Tina stuck out her pinky.

"She won't tell...when that's coming from you...Tina..." Yuri added, a slight blush on her face.

"Yeah, Tina! Might as well tell the newspaper carrier who you like!" The magician huffed.

"Hey, I've already done my share of telling you guys I like Rod! Besides, you've already told me who you like, what's wrong with Rose telling me?"

"The thing is, Tina, that after we told you who we liked, you published it on the newspaper..." Felicity pointed out, a worried expression on her face. "We wouldn't want Rose to feel the embarrassment we did..."

"I only came here during the beginning of this season, too..." Rose added.

"Don't you believe in love at first sight?" Michelle asked.

"Allen obviously does. He even took Rose out on a date the same week she came, too!"

"Ooh!" Michelle, Tina, and Felicity whooped and giggled.

"It's called a chat!" Rose crossed her arms and blushed.

"Speaking of Allen and Rose...Did you see that kiss?!" Tina laughed.

"Speaking of that kiss...Did you see how Neil flipped out after?!" Felicity added, laughing as well.

"Hey! I planned out the whole thing, so I should get some credit! It's obvious Allen has the hots for Rose! He should thank me!" Michelle huffed; however, she was slightly giggling.

"Maybe...he doesn't like her...He just wanted to...make Neil jealous...?" Yuri joined in, a slight ache in her chest.

"Ooh, what if Neil likes her?"

"G-guys, just...just stop..." Rose said in a serious tone.

"We're sorry, Rose..."

"I guess you're just not used to the way we talk..."

"We were just teasing, you know. You'll get used to us eventually..."

"It...took me a long time...to get used to them, too..." The fashion designer admitted.

"Well, I'll see ya later, girls! I've got some newspaper carrying to do! The sleepover sort of backtracked the job, so I'll be going!" Tina waved as she left.

"I have to go get ready for work, too."

"I have to go and perform for Clement, too!"

"I'm...going to go..."

Rose waved to the other girls as Rod walked up to her.

"W-well, today's S-Sunday...I'll go and get ready, okay? I'll come pick you up by then!"

**I totally foreshadowed in the beginning of the chapter when Rose was being pranked! If you haven't noticed it, just keep reading the part after everyone's dialogue and you'll find it out! I can totally imagine the girls having this kind of chat about boys and then guessing who likes who! If you can't already tell, this fanfiction's going to be a long and slow one! ****Well, as always, reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! ^^**


	22. Spring

Rose was finished caring for Winter and Summer and was now waiting for Rod to come pick her up in the casual shorts she recently received from Yuri.

She wore a yellow shirt and green short overalls, along with matching socks that reached slightly higher than her knees.

She was now sitting on Winter's back and ruffled the patch of hair on its head.

"Today's a nice day, isn't it, Winter?"

"Moo?" The cow looked ahead and tilted its head.

Winter then quickly headed towards the entrance of the farm, forgetting the farmer was riding on its back.

"W-wait!" Rose exclaimed as she held onto the cow's collar and she then noticed Neil coming in from the entrance of the farm.

"Hey, Neil!" She waved at the animal dealer and he only gave her a confused look in response.

"Are you seriously...Winter isn't a horse, you know!" He face-palmed as the cow paused and Rose swung her legs over to the side.

"I was just waiting for Rod to come pick me up and I guess Winter knew you were coming." She told him. "She's probably gotten used to your visits!"

"What's he coming to pick you up for?" Neil grabbed her hands and helped her get off of the cow, who was now nudging the animal dealer happily.

He chuckled and petted the cow lovingly.

"A small chat he invited me to at Chez Clement. He seemed really nervous since he turned red and started speaking quickly when he was bringing it up." She explained as she dusted herself off.

"Small chat, huh...Sounds like a date."

"That's what I was thinking, actually!" The farmer giggled as she looked into her bag and got out a bottle of milk.

"Here, you can have this!" She grinned as she handed Neil the bottle.

"Thanks. I really appreciate you being so nice to me, you know." He gave her a small smile as he slightly turned red.

"No problem! Anything to make you happy!"

"You really like making others happy, don't you?"

"Yep! E-especially y-you..." Rose said the last sentence quietly and she blushed.

"Hmm? Did you...mean what you said?" Neil asked uncertainly.

'He heard me? Oh, why did I say that out loud?!'

"W-well, I mean everything I say!" She then realized her words.

"U-uh, I meant-"

"Arf! Arf!"

The two turned to see Winnie running towards them.

"Winnie! How's my favorite dog?" The farmer laughed as she picked her up and the dog licked her face.

"R-Rose, about the date with Rod-" Neil started, when Rod rushed into the farm.

"Rose! Sorry for coming late! Oh hey, Neil."

"Hey, Rod!"

"Hey."

Rod grinned when he noticed Winnie in Rose's arms.

"You silly dog! You ran ahead of me!"

"Arf! Arf!" The dog panted excitedly.

Neil didn't know why, but his chest started to ache at seeing Rose and Rod together.

"Heehee, maybe she was really excited to go with us!" She giggled.

"Looks like it! Neil, what're you doing here?" The pet shop owner turned to the animal dealer and asked curiously.

"I...Uh..." He muttered as he started to tense up.

"He's just checking on the livestock!" Rose explained when she noticed the sudden change in atmosphere.

She then gave Neil a worried look and he looked back at her with an unreadable expression.

"I'm going to go. See ya." He then left as silence filled the farm, except for Winnie's excited panting and Summer's peeping.

"What happened?" Rod looked at Rose with a confused expression.

"Nothing...Let's get going!"

* * *

**I REALLY enjoyed writing this part! It's adorable! ^^**

'What should I say? Should I tell her how elegant she looks, or talk about the weather?' Rod wondered as he watched Rose eating spaghetti while she sat in front of him.

"Y-you look really elegant, R-Rose!" He said when he finally gained the courage to compliment her.

"Huh?" She looked up from eating.

"Oh, that's really sweet! Thank you!" She grinned.

"I expected you to look sorta muscular since you do hard work in the farm and all, but you look really lady-like! You're really...cute..." Rod said in a daze and smiled.

"Y-you really mean it? I really appreciate it!"

"No prob!" He grinned as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring your plush. You're always hanging onto it, I actually expected to see it in your hands!"

"It's in my bag! It tends to distract me, so I decided not to hold onto it for now."

"Ah, I see!"

Rose looked into her bag, trying to find the plush.

'Where is it? Did I leave it somewhere?'

She then decided to look for it later.

"Isn't it nice out? The breeze feels really nice today!" Rose stated when she had nothing else to say.

"I was just about to say that! What are ya, a mind reader?" Rod chuckled.

"Maybe I am!" She giggled. "I guess I just say what comes to mind in situations like this."

"That happens to me a lot, actually!" He admitted.

The two then started chatting about pets.

"Which do you think's better, Rose? Dogs or cats?"

"That's actually a tough decision. I'm not really good at picking choices, but I'd say dogs."

"Haha, me too!" Rod smiled.

"I think dogs are just the most adorable things! They're always wagging their tails and they're really energetic!" Rose explained.

'I bet I could talk with her all day and I wouldn't get tired! Her voice is so soothing...'

"Rod!" He shook his head to notice Rose's face close to his.

"Wah! R-Rose!" He exclaimed as he moved back in surprise.

"You were staring at me for some time and I got a bit worried..."

"I-I'm fine! It's nothing!" He waved his hands around, indicating that he was alright.

"Good!" Rose gave him a warm smile, causing him to blush.

"Haha, yeah..."

* * *

The two were now walking to Rod's house.

"I've been thinking about what to do with Winnie's puppy. Maybe you'd like to have her? Knowing you're an animal lover and all, I thought you'd like to have a little helper around the farm." The pet shop owner offered.

"R-really?! I'd looove to have a puppy running around! Thank you soooooo much, Rod!" The farmer then gave him a big hug out of excitement.

"Come on! She's at the house!"

* * *

"Aww! She's so adorable!" Rose giggled as she nuzzled the puppy's nose when they got to her house.

"Neil told me you named your animals by seasons. I think that's pretty clever! What'll it be, Spring or Fall?"

"Spring! It's the end of the season, anyway."

"Sounds good! I know you'll take great care of her! I've brought everything you need to care for pets." Rod smiled as he was about to leave.

"Oh, and I really enjoyed the date! It was really fun!" Rose told him.

"I really enjoyed it too! Maybe we can head to the mountains another time and play with Winnie and Spring."

'She called it a date...I think I'm starting to like her...Starting? I've liked her since we first met!'

**Did you like this chapter? I've had the idea of Rod giving Rose the puppy in my head for a looong time and I'm really glad the time was right for it to happen! Also, when you wear the casual shorts and talk to Rod, he talks about how elegant your arms and legs look and I thought I just HAD to put that part in there somewhere! When Rose was with Neil, he was trying to change Rose's mind about going on the date with Rod, but Rod chose the perfect time to rush into the farm! I also made the boys like different things about Rose, as well. Rod really likes her calm voice whenever they talked, Neil likes her interest in animals and her smile as well, and I guess Allen likes everything about Rose! Ooh, I'm getting addicted to this fanfiction! As always, reviews are highly appreciated and ideas are accepted! I'll try updating as quickly as I can! ^^**


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